Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Grass moths (Crambidae) - Part 6: China-marks and Water-veneers (Elophila to Donacaula)

GRASS MOTHS (CRAMBIDAE) (continued)


Brown China-mark Elophila nympheata - Singles in the garden trap on 16th July and 4th August 2019, making it my worst year here to date (although numbers have never exceeded 7).  4 in 2020 between 31st July and 3rd September.  Elsewhere one at Hellsedon in 2019 and one at Whitwell Street in 2020.

Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Water Veneer Acentria ephemerlla - Recorded at home on 16 nights between 10th July and 3rd September - at least 35 individuals involved but not counted on 2 nights.  47 over 14 nights between 23rd June and 16th August 2020 including 20 on one night (12th August).  This species is highly erratic in numbers with 650 or so recorded in 2016 but only 13 in 2017.  Elsewhere one next door and up to 20 at the meadows on several dates and a few at Bintree Wood.


Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata - A total of 18 in the garden between 24th June and 26th September 2019 was far and away my best year ever.  Between moving in in August 2014 and the end of 2018 I had only caught 12 here in total so 18 in a year seemed remarkable.  However, this was totally eclipsed in 2020 when I caught 119 between 21st May and 13th September including 10 on one night (18th July).  Elsewhere just one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and 2 at Whitwell Street on 3rd September 2020.  Surprisingly I'm yet to find this species at the meadows.

Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, North Elmham, 18th June 2020

Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata - At least 23 here between 30th May and 25th August 2019 (possibly slightly higher as they weren't counted on a couple of nights) and 40 between 25th June and 4th September 2020.  The 2020 figure was closer to the average here.  Also recorded next door, 17 at the meadows, and 1-2 at Bintree Wood, Swanton Great Wood and Hellesdon.

Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata - Below-average totals of 12 here between 24th June and 25th July 2019 and 14 between 18th July and 14th August 2020.  Despite the total being on the low side 5 on 24th July 2019 was my joint highest ever count.  Elsewhere one next door, 21 at the meadows (including 8 on 18th July 2020) and 2 at Bintree Wood.

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th July 2019

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Giant Water-veneer Schoeobius gigantella - None.  I've recorded this species at home on 3 occasions (all 2016-2017).


Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella - A total of 12 in the garden between 29th June and 12th August 2019, all singles except 3 on 25th July.  Not quite my best year but very nearly - I average 8 a year.  6 here in 2020 between 18th July and 11th August.  Also 6 at the meadows (3 each year).

Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, North Elmham, 13th July 2019

Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

male Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Scarce Water-veneer Donacaula mucronella - None.  I've never seen this species but there are a couple of Dereham records and a scattering from elsewhere so I'm hoping to get one locally someday.


Next page: Drepanidae

Cherry Midget

Tuesday 4th July was a reasonably good night for moths here with over 400 moths of 98 species.  Last year's peak of 153 and 154 species on consecutive nights seems like a dream compared to this year's paltry performance.  The best of the 98 was a lifer, Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella, although I had seen at least one of the aggregate species pair spinicolella/cerasicolella before.  Interestingly this one didn't seem to have dark tips to the antennae as both spinicolella and cerasicolella are supposed to but unless I've missed something the female genitalia of the two are quite distinctive (compared to other Phyllonorycters - not so distinctive from one another but do-able).

Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 4th July

One other moth was new for the garden - Ochreous Pearl Anania crocealis.

Ochreous Pearl Anania crocealis, North Elmham, 4th July

A Small Rush Case-bearer Coleophora taeniipennella was only my second (my first was here last July).

Small Rush Case-bearer Coleophora taeniipennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 4th July

Also new for the year here were White-headed Ermel Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Brown-tail, 2 Yellow-tails, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Dun-bar, Clouded Brindle, Common Rustic and Cream-bordered Green Pea.

White-headed Ermel Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, North Elmham, 4th July

Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th July

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, North Elmham, 4th July

Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, North Elmham, 4th July

Brown-tail, North Elmham, 4th July

Broad-bordered Yellow Umderwing, North Elmham, 4th July

Clouded Brindle, North Elmham, 4th July

Common Rustic (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th July

Cream-bordered Green Pea, North Elmham, 4th July

The others were Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, 20 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella, 2 Triple-spot Dwarfs Elachista maculicerusella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 12 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 3 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 7 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 4 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 3 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, 5 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 31 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Long-winged Pearl Anania lancealis, 17 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 2 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Chinese Characters, Common Emerald, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, 10 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 10 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Yellow Shell, Phoenix, Barred Straw, Blue-bordered Carpet, Small Rivulet, 3 V-Pugs, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, 4 Brimstone Moths, 8 Early Thorns, Purple Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 3 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, 3 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, Round-winged Muslin, 8 Rosy Footmen, 8 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 51 Common Footmen, 4 Buff Ermines, Short-cloaked Moth, Heart and Club, 3 Flames, 5 Double Square-spots, 2 Brown-line Bright Eyes, 9 Clays, 13 Smoky Wainscots, 3 Dark Arches, 52 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, 3 Nut-tree Tussocks, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot and 3 Fan-foots.

Long-winged Pearl Anania lancealis, North Elmham, 4th July

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 4th July

As usual when there are a lot of moths, there was a good variety of other insects (and a Common Frog).  Mayflies were represented by Serratella ignita while Lacewings consisted of a female Conwentzia sp. (a waxfly - only male Conwentzia can be identified to species level) and the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus.  Caddisflies included Hydropsyche pellucidula and my second Silo pallipes.  Bugs consisted of 2 Stenotus binotatus and 5 Iassus lanio (leafhopper), the latter new for the year.

Iassus lanio, North Elmham, 4th July

Among the beetles I identified Enochrus quadripunctatus for the first time ever, 2 Aphodius rufipes, 2 Brown Chafers, Rhagonycha fulva, Orange Ladybird (new for the year) and 2 Lagria hirta.

Enochrus quadripunctatus, North Elmham, 4th July