Another new Stigmella

An Anthrenus fuscus in the house was new for the year on Monday 21st.  These mascarade as Varied Carpet Beetles Anthenus verbasci but there are quite a few differences when you look closely (such as the blacker scales and the very different structure of the antennae).

Anthrenus fuscus, North Elmham, 21st May

The highlight from the moth trap that night was a Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella.  Although common, like most Stigmella speices they are mostly recorded as leafmines and adults are rarely reported.  This was my first, keyed out accurately using the excellent Kleine Vlinders key and confirmed with gen det.

Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st May

Also new for the year were Fen Flat-body Depressaria ultimella, Scorched Carpet and 2 Treble Lines, plus the caddisfly Cyrnus trimaculatus.  Other moths were Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Grey Pine Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, Waved Umber, Coxcomb Prominent, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, 2 White Ermines, Heart and Dart and 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts.

Fen Flat-body Depressaria ultimella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st May

Scorched Carpet, North Elmham, 21st May

Treble Lines, North Elmham, 21st May

Cyrnus trimaculatus (female), North Elmham, 21st May

The following evening looked a bit better for moths so I headed down to the meadows and set up two lights.  No sooner had I got the second one on and the generator packed up as it had run out of oil. I didn't have any spare oil so that was the end of that.  In the short time the first light had been on it had caught a Common Swift, new for the site, and I also added Common Toad to the site's amphibian list. 

Common Swift, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May

It was a reasonably good night at home with 4 new moths for the garden year-list: Privet Hawk-moth, Lychnis, White-point and Common Wainscot. Also Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Common Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Brimstone Moth, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, Muslin Moth, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Early Grey, 2 Treble Lines and the caddisfly Limnephilus auricula.

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 22nd May

Lychnis, North Elmham, 22nd May

White-point, North Elmham, 22nd May

Common Wainscot, North Elmham, 22nd May

There wasn't a vast number of moths in the trap the following night but Turnip Moth and Shears were new for the year, and a Flame Carpet was a much finer specimen than the one last week.

Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 23rd May

Shears, North Elmham, 23rd May

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd May

Also that night were White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella (indoors), Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 3 Brimstone Moths, 2 White Ermines, 2 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Dowdy Plume - a couple of months early!

The highlight on the night of Saturday 17th May was a Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella.  I've seen a lot of these this year (a good year, or just me getting out more than normal?) but this was my first at home.

Large Long-horn Nematopogon Swammerdamella, North Elmham, 17th May

Otherwise it was a quiet night with 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Green Carpet, 2 Common Pugs, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, 4 Treble Lines and 3 Limnephilus auriculas (caddis).   The following night Clouded Border was new for the year but apart from that there were just 2 Green Carpets, White Ermine and Spectacle.

A few more moths on Monday 19th but only Silver-ground Carpet was new for the year for the garden.  Others were Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Maiden's Blush, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Mottled Pug, Muslin Moth, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, Clouded-bordered Brindle and 2 Treble Lines.  Also the caddis Glyphotaelius pellucidus (2).

Silver-ground Carpet, North Elmham, 19th May

Next day I found what I initially assumed to be yet another Varied Carpet Beetle in the house.  This one was darker than normal though so I looked a bit more closely and found a few more differences.  It proved to be the closely-related Anthrenus fuscus, a new one for me.

Anthrenus fuscus, North Elmham, 20th May

No new moths for the year that night: Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Swift, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Peppered Moth, Waved Umber, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart and 3 Treble Lines.  However the caddisfly Limnephilus vittatus was new for the year.

Limnephilus vittatus, North Elmham, 20th May

Peppered Moth, North Elmham, 20th May

Next day this Early Bumblebee appeared in the garden (not very early).  It appears to be the first time I've identified this species here.

Early Bumblebee, North Elmham, 21st May

A few moths seen at Ryburgh over this period included Plain Golds Micropterix calthella, Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and Silver-ground Carpets.  This Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella appeared on the hide window ledge as I was looking out.

Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella, Great Ryburgh, 20th May

Beetles at Ryburgh included Dalopius marginatus.

I went up to Burnham Overy on Wednesday 21st and found a few moths of note.  Most surprising was this plume moth.  It recalled examples I'd found in precisely the same place last year which proved to be Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus and I retained this one to check if it was.  When taking it through the key I landed on Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla on account of the brown (rather than grey) first lobe.  In truth it was greyish brown and I wasn't convinced it was pterodactyla - though a much commoner species these normally look a warmer brown colour overall.  However zophodactylus isn't meant to fly until July, so it couldn't possibly be that, I thought.  Well it was a male and its genitalia showed very obvious projections to the apex of the tegumen which seems to be a diagnostic feature of zophodactlus.  Moreover the uncus didn't extend beyond the tegumen which it should on pterodactyla.  I couldn't find the anellus arms (presumably they came away during the prep?) but I think there's enough without them to establish this as Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus - leaving only the question of what it was doing flying in May?!  Is this species developing a new first generation maybe, as several other species have done in recent year?

Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus (male, gen det), Burnham Overy, 21st May

Less surprising was this Breckland Plume Crombrugghia distans.

Breckland Plume Crombrugghia distans, Burnham Overy, 21st May

This Long-horn looked small making me suspect Small Barred Long-horn Adela croesella over Yellow-barred Long-horn Nematopogon degeerella.  But I couldn't catch it and couldn't positively judge some of the usual features from my slightly ropey photos.  In the end I settled on Adela croesella, partly due to the apparent size and partly because of the way the yellow band curved round to hit the costa perpendicularly.  Not sure if this is a reliable feature or not but on most degeerella it seems to hit the costa angled slightly towards the apex.

Small Barred Long-horn Adela croesella, Burnham Overy, 21st May

Other moths recorded at Burnham Overy included 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 15 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Desert Groundling Bryotropha desertella, 3 Downland Conches Aethes tesserana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Green Carpets and 3 Cinnabars. Also a couple of Yellow-tail caterpillars.

Downland Conch Aethes tesserana, Burnham Overy, 21st May

Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Burnham Overy, 21st May

Desert Groundling Bryotropha desertella, Burnham Overy, 21st May

This beetle proved to be Common Grammoptera Grammoptera ruficornis.

Common Grammoptera Grammoptera ruficornis, Burnham Overy, 21st May

That night at home the only moths were 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Poplar Hawkmoth, 4 White Ermines, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder and 5 Treble Lines.

Poplar Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 21st May

Other insects included Common Earwig and my first Cockchafer of the year here.

Cockchafer, North Elmham, 21st May