Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Argents (Argyresthiidae)

ARGENTS (ARGYRESTHIIDAE)

Some of these are stunning and highly distinctive while others can be extremely tricky to identify, even after reference to their genitalia.  I sometimes have to leave them unidentified, and at least two caught in my garden trap in 2019 were not resolved.


Triple-barred Argent Argyresthia trifasciata - One in the garden moth trap on 20th May 2019 was only my second record here following one in May 2018, but 2020 smashed it with 5 between 18th May and 9th June (including 3 on 21st May).

Triple-barred Argent Argyresthia trifasciata, North Elmham, 20th May 2019

Triple-barred Argent Argyresthia trifasciata, North Elmham, 18th May 2020

Juniper Argent Argyresthia dilectella - None.  I've recorded this species here twice (2016 and 2017).


Cypress-tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella -  3 in the garden trap between 1st and 7th June 2019 and 2 in 2020 (22nd May and 14th June).  2-3 a year is typical since the neighbours chopped down the big cypress hedge that bordered our property (which I wasn't at all sad to see go).  Prior to that there were 8-9 a year.


Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella - One in the garden trap on 29th June 2019.  I have 1-2 here most years but none in 2020.  One at Bintree Wood in 2020, on 24th July.

Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella - Totals of 15 in my garden trap between 23rd July and 27th August 2019 and 14 between 31st July and 3rd September 2020.  Numbers here vary greatly from one year to the next with annual totals varying from 3 to 32.  Also one at Swanton Great Wood in August 2019.

Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Sallow Argent Argyresthia pygmaeella - None.  I've never seen this species but there must be a chance of finding it locally.


Brindled Argent Argyresthia curvella - None.  I've recorded this species here just once (2017).


Netted Argent Argyresthia retinella - One in the garden trap on 21st July 2019 was only my second here following one in 2017.  It was in a very worn state and its identification was assisted by examination of its genitalia. None in 2020.

female Netted Argent Argyresthia retinella, North Elmham, 21st July 2019

Oak-bark Argent Argyresthia glaucinella - Caught in my garden trap on 23rd and 26th June 2020.  My only previous record of this species was a worn example in my garden in 2015 although after taking advice about that one's genitalia I decided not to formally submit it as their genitalic differences are rather subtle.  Based on a combination of internal and external appearance I personally felt sufficiently satisfied about the ID for my own notes but not for the official record.  The 2020 records were fresher, and together with my improved dissection skills, I think these are ok to record formally.

male Oak-bark Argent Argyresthia glaucinella, North Elmham, 23rd June 2020

female Oak-bark Argent Argyresthia glaucinella, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

Blackthorn Argent Argyresthia spinosella - None.  I've only recorded this species here once, in 2018, although some of the unidentified Argyresthia that I've not been able to resolve may have been this species.


Apple-fruit Moth Argyresthia conjugella - None.  This is another species I have recorded here on just one occasion, in 2015.


Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca - One in the garden trap on 29th July 2019.  This species is not quite annual here although I had 5 in 2018.  None in 2020.

Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, North Elmham, 29th July 2019

Cherry-fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella - Singles in my garden trap on 23rd and 29th July 2019 and 3 between 29th June and 7th September 2020.  This species is just about annual here though 1-2 is typical (4 in 2018).  Also singles at the meadows on 26th July and 25th August.

Cherry Fruit-moth Argyresthia pruniella, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Cherry Fruit-moth Argyresthia pruniella, North Elmham, 29th June 2020

Cherry Fruit-moth Argyresthia pruniella, North Elmham, 7th September 2020

Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella - One here on 4th August 2019.  I seem to get 1-2 here every other year and true to form, none in 2020.

Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, North Elmham, 4th August 2019

Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria - 3 in the garden trap between 31st July and 1st August 2020.  2019 was my first blank year here since moving in in 2014 (though I had more than 2 in a year prior to 2020).

Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria, North Elmham, 5th August 2020

Large Beech Argent Argyresthia semitestacella - None.  I've never found this species, or at least if I have I've never positively identified it (it was a good contender for a worn Argyresthia I caught on 23rd September 2019 but even after examining the genitalia I couldn't rule out a couple of other species - perhaps when I'm better informed about the genitalic differences I will be able to return to this and confirm it one way or the other).


Next page: Lyonetiidae plus

2 new moths, a very decent Lacewing and more

The night of 2nd August was brilliant.  89 species of moth wasn't a legendary total but there were some great quality moths and other insects among them.  Pick of the moths was a rare, nationally scarce A moth that I had never seen before.

Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella is an exceedingly common species which can quite easily be found in their hundreds feeding in Ox-eye Daisies and other wildflowers during the day-time.  I see them around North Elmham in abundance, but in four years of nightly light-trapping I have never caught a single individual in my garden.  So when I found what looked very much like one in my moth trap, two thoughts went through my mind.  First, this is a new moth for the garden, and second, given that simpliciella doesn't normally come to my trap, might this be one of the rarer congeners that I've never seen before, anywhere?

At first I thought it was perhaps a little larger than simpliciella that I'm used to seeing, which put me in mind of haworthana - but in fact it wasn't nearly big enough for that (I measured it just to be sure).  Easily observable external features ruled out all but two species - the very common simpliciella and the much rarer schoenicolella.  The literature cites three differences in the external appearance of these two species - the colour of the cilia (hairs) on the edge of the hindwing, which are very hard to see on an insect that tends to keep its hindwings covered up, the relative spacing of the bars along the costa (the leading edge of the wings) and the eveness in colour of the forewing and extent of copper near the apex.  Having looked at scores of pictures of both species on the internet I am not convinced of the reliability of any of these features except the colour of the cilia.  The few glimpses I got of its hindwings looked encouraging - very encouraging in fact.  I was pretty sure I could see brilliant white cilia there, near the base of the wings, but I couldn't get a clear enough view to be sure while the insect was still alive.  When I could eventually examine it without it moving I was delighted to see glistening white cilia at the proximal end of the dorsal edge of both hindwings, strongly contrasting with the greyer cilia in the outer half or two-thirds.  It had to be Bog-rush Fanner Glyphipterix schoenicolella.  That's an unexpected find here as it feeds on Black Bog-rush, a species that does not appear round according to the maps in A Flora of Norfolk.  It's not all that far away though, and with a widespread scattering of records across the county (including Dereham and Reepham areas) I imagine it is possible that it grows closer to here than the maps show.

Bog-rush Fanner Glyphipterix schoenicolella, North Elmham, 2nd August

I checked the genitalia too, just to make doubly sure, although looking at the images of female genitalia of both species online it wasn't very clear what the differences are.  One website suggests a possible difference but I couldn't really see this on the images, and indeed the relavant bit of the genitalia seems to be hard to keep intact when preparing specimens as it is completely missing from most photos (although I did see it on mine during prepraration I had lost it by the time I finished).  However, I think I can see two or three other differences between the two species:

1. On both species the papillae anales, the very tip of the abdomen, have a tiny discrete projection at their very tip.  On simpiciella this seems to be bigger, starting as a continuation of the more proximal section and narrowing gradually to form a point, whereas on schoenicolella this seems to start narrower than the adjacent more proximal section, so stepped at least on the outer side and is therefore tinier and sharper.
2. Between the two papillae anales just below their broadest sections the membrane is covered in longitudinally wrinkled light sclerotisation.  This seems to be thicker and more sclerotised on schoenicolella, though I'm not sure how much this could depend on how the genitalia are prepared.
3. On both species the sclerotisation on the 8th segment is extended centrally into a triangular pointed projection pointing distally.  On schoenicolella this projection seems to be shorter, just a little longer than an equilateral triangle and with straight sides coming to a point, whereas on simpiciella it is more horn-shaped, a longer clearly isosceles triangle with convex sides and a rounded or at least blunt tip.  

These suggested differences are based on just a very small number of images so I cannot say that any of them are diagnostic, or with any great confidence that they should even be remotely useful.  However if they do prove to be valid differences then my moth clearly meets all three criteria for schoenicolella.

female genitalia of Bog-rush Fanner Glyphipterix schoenicolella, North Elmham, 2nd August

The second new moth for me was a slightly commoner species, Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella.  There are a number of similar species but on this one the third dorsal fascia is distinctively angled back in a sort of chevron shape.  I was therefore fairly confident about this ID before chopping it, but as its genitalia are also quite distinctive I checked it under the microscope too.

Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd August

There were a number of other new moths for the year too: Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, 2 Heather Tortrixes Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Orange Swift, Sallow Kitten and Six-striped Rustic.

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, North Elmham, 2nd August

Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, North Elmham, 2nd August

Orange Swift, North Elmham, 2nd August

Sallow Kitten, North Elmham, 2nd August

Six-striped Rustic, North Elmham, 2nd August

A few other species were noteworthy too:  White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, Pointed Slender Parornix finitimella, Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella, Dark Umber and Twin-spotted Wainscot.

White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, North Elmham, 2nd August

Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd August

The other moths were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, 3 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, 4 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, 2 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, 2 House Nebs Bryotropha domestica, an Oegoconia sp. that escaped, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 38 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 24 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 15 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 4 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 18 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, Small Fan-footed Wave, 4 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, 7 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 6 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, 2 Maple Pugs, 2 Lime-speck Pugs, 2 Wormwood Pugs, Grey Pug, Magpie Moth, 2 Bordered Beauties, 2 Early Thorns, Iron Prominent, Yellow-tail, 6 Dingy Footmen, Common Footman, Buff Ermine, Ruby Tiger, 3 Turnip Moths, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 8 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 13 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, 2 Common Wainscots, Copper Underwing, 2 Straw Underwings, Angle Shades, 2 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, Common Rustic, Small Rufous and 9 Straw Dots.

Although the new moths were very exciting, neither of them were fully identified on the morning that I found them.  Well neither was this lacewing, but I was pretty sure it would prove to be something I had never seen before.  And so it turned out - it was Hemerobius nitidulus, a pine-feeding species that had been recorded in Norfolk 5 times up to 1988 and not since, at least until the last summary publication of records that was published in 2016. 

Hemerobius nitidulus, North Elmham, 2nd August

Other brown lacewings were Hemerobius lutescens and 4 Micromus variegatus. Green lacewings consisted of Chrysopa commata (new for the year) and Dichochrysa flavifrons. The only mayflies were 5 Green Drakes Ephemera danica, and once again all five were dead in the bottom of the trap.   Caddisflies were Hydropsyche pellucidula and 2 Hydropsyche siltalai.

Chrysopa commata, North Elmham, 2nd August

No new bugs for a change (lots recently) but a variety of species: Birch Shieldbug, Blepharidopterus angulatus, Lygus pratensis, Psallus haematodes and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis.

There was one more lifer waiting for me: a Lesser Mealworm Beetle Alphitobius diaperinus.  Also among the beetles the water-beetle Rhantus suturalis was new for the year and there were 5 Bradycellus verbasci along with single Hydrobius fuscipes and Aphodius rufipes.

Lesser Mealworm Beetle Alphitobius diaperinus, North Elmham, 2nd August

Rhatnus suturalis, North Elmham, 2nd August

The following evening I had a wander round the Cathedral Meadows with a torch and found a selection of moths: Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Orange Swift, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Yellow Shell, Coxcomb Prominent, Flame Shoulder, Square-spotted Clay, 4 Silver Ys and Straw Dot.  There were also 3 Common Earwigs, the green lacewing Dichochrysa flavifrons and 2 Common Toads.

Orange Swift, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August

Dark Spinach and Oak Nycteoline

With 442 moths of 92 species, 21st July wasn't exactly a bad night but compared to the previous night it felt a lot quieter.  Indeed there was only one new moth for the year, a Straw Underwing, and nearly half of the moths were the same species: 219 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella.

Straw Underwing, North Elmham, 21st July

The other moths were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, 7 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 3 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, House Neb Bryotropha domestica, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Red-barred Tortrixes Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Nut-bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 5 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Ghost Moth, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, 11 Single-dotted Waves, 7 Riband Waves, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, Small Rivulet, Sandy Carpet, Bordered Pug, V-Pug, Double-striped Pug, 5 Clouded Borders, Early Thorn, 3 Scalloped Oaks, 3 Willow Beauties, Pale Prominent, 3 Yellow-tails, Round-winged Muslin, 7 Rosy Footmen, 14 Dingy Footmen, 4 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 12 Common Footmen, Ruby Tiger, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, Brown-line Bright Eye, 2 Clays, 6 Smoky Wainscots, Dun-bar, 3 Dark Arches, Light Arches, Cloaked Minor, 3 Common Rustics, Dusky Sallow, 2 Fen Wainscots, 11 Uncertains, Rustic, Mottled Rustic, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot and 2 Fan-foots.

4 speices of mayfly was good: there was Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, 2 Green Drakes Ephemera danica and 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. Caddisflies were 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa and Athripsodes aterrimus.  Beetles consisted of another Amara apricaria, Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes and Hydrobius fuscipes.

The following night there were slightly fewer moths and slightly less variety (425 moths of 88 species) but there was some good quality among them including 4 new macros for the year: Dark Spinach, Lime-speck Pug, Coronet and Oak Nycteoline.  The Dark Spinach and Oak Nycteoline were both only my second records here.

Dark Spinach, North Elmham, 22nd July

Coronet, North Elmham, 22nd July

Oak Nycteoline, North Elmham, 22nd July

The other moths were Barred White Clothes Moth Nemapogon clematella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, 8 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Grey Ermine Yponomeuta sedella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, 2 Four-spotted Obscures Oegoconia quadripuncta, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 4 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 5 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 204 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 5 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 22 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Ghost Moth, Buff Arches, Small Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 6 Small Fan-footed Waves, 13 Single-dotted Waves, 7 Riband Waves, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Currant Pug, Double-striped Pug, 4 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 3 Early Thorns, 4 Scalloped Oaks, 4 Willow Beauties, Engrailed, Common Wave, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pale Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 2 Rosy Footmen, 14 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, Buff Footman, 11 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Turnip Moth, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, 2 Clays, 3 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, Common Rustic, 9 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Spectacle, Herald, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips, Snout and 2 Fan-foots.

Another Conwentzia psociformis was good value, only my second example of this waxfly here following my first earlier this year.  There was also the brown lacewing Micromus variegatus.

Conwentzia psociformis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd July

There was some good quality among the other insects too including a new caddisfly for me, Tinodes unicolor.  A shame it didn't survive long enough for me to photograph it alive... Other caddis were Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus, Molanna angustata, Athripsodes aterrimus and Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis.

Tinodes unicolor, North Elmham, 22nd July

There was a new beetle for me too: Ophonus puncticeps.  Other beetles were Nicrophorus investigator, Orange Ladybird and Lagria hirta. There was also the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Ophonus puncticeps, North Elmham, 22nd July

Chris Mills invited me over to go through his moth trap at Themelthorpe, so I rocked up at his on the morning of 23rd to go through what he had caught the previous night.  Two of the highlights were Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella and Eyelet Sober Thiotricha subocellea, both species I haven't yet recorded here in North Elmham.

Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella (female, gen det), Themelthorpe, 22nd July

Other things I noted down (and the counts are conservative guesses in many cases) were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Small Red Slender Caloptilia rufipennella, White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 5 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 4 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Lesser Tawny Tubics Batia lunaris, 3 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, probable Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Cnephasia sp., Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Diamond-back Marble Eudemis profundana, 8 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 30 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, probable Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Oak Eggar, Oak Hook-tip, 2 Chinese Characters, 3 Buff Arches, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Small Phoenix, 5 July Highflyers, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, 2 Early Thorns, 7 Willow Beauties, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pebble Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 2 Black Arches, 4 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 6 Common Footmen, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Heart and Darts, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Flame Shoulder, 8 Double Square-spots, 4 Clays, 7 Smoky Wainscots, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Small Clouded Brindle, 3 Common Rustic aggs., Beautiful Hook-tip and 2 Straw Dots.

Later that day I had a wander round the Cathedral Meadows where butterflies included 6+ Purple Hairstreaks and 2 Holly Blues.  There were a few moths too: Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis and Blood-vein.

Red Admiral, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Bugs included a mating pair of Forest Bugs, 2 Hairy Shieldbugs and a new species for me swept off Mugwort, Apolygus lucorum.

Forest Bugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Apolygus lucorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Other bits and pieces included Field Grasshoppers, the scorpion fly Panorpa communis and this larva I found on some Male Fern.  I think it may be one of the brown lacewings but have no idea how to tell which one, if indeed I am right.

unidentified larva, possibly of a brown lacewing sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Flies included the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade Fly), a couple of Noon Flies Mesembrina meridiana which I don't have any record of having identified before and a dance fly which I think is probably Tachydromia umbrarum.  I found a key for these but struggled to use it as it contained so many terms I wasn't familiar with (mostly unhelpfully abbreviated).  There are a lot of similar species in the genus but this seems to be one of the commoner species and there weren't any couplets in the key leading to this species that I thought went the other way (but there were plenty for which I wasn't sure either way).

Marmalade Fly Episyrphus balteatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Noon Flies Mesembrina meridiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

probable Tacydromia umbrarum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Other things noted were the barkfly Graphopsocus cruciatus, a Negro Ant Formica fusca and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Negro Ant Formica fusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July