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

An oasis of wildlife in a new development

I'd never been to Queen's Hill before.  I'd heard a fair bit about it, largely thanks to the impressive variety of moths that Matthew Casey and friends have found there, but I only knew it as a new housing estate on the outskirts of Norwich.  After trying for Clearwings at New Costessey on Saturday afternoon Dave and I tried our luck at Queen's Hill.  Dave had been here before and among other things had seen Small Yellow Underwings, a striking macro moth that I'd never seen, so being in the area it seemed like a good opportunity to see what all the fuss was about.

We arrived to find a bank of wildflower-rich grassland surrounding a 'storm pond' with scrub surround.  It looked good and we were soon kicking up more Dichrorampha than we could shake a stick at.  In no time I'd found this marvellous Small Yellow Underwing, the first of two.

Small Yellow Underwing, Queen's Hill, 28th May

The various Dichrorampha had little or no dorsal blotch, though some seemed to have enough of a blotch in combination with narrow wings to identify them as Sharp-winged Drill Dichrorampha acuminatana.  I retained four that showed either a faint dorsal blotch or no dorsal blotch, suspecting that some might prove to be plumbana.  That's supposed to be a scarce species and there are only 8 records in the Norfolk Moths database for the last 20 years, though I suspect they're just poorly recorded as I've recorded them at 3 sites in the last couple of years and suspected them elsewhere without proof.  The good news was that two of the four I retained did indeed prove to be Lead-coloured Drill Dichrorampha plumbana.  The better news was that one of the others was Silver-lined Drill Dichrorampha plumbagana, a species only showing in the database as having been recorded 11 times in Norfolk, only once before in VC27, and a new species for me.  And the even better news was that the other one proved to be Obsucre Drill Dichrorampha aeratana, another lifer for me and with just 6 records showing in the database.

 Lead-coloured Drills Dichrorampha plumbana (males, gen det), Queen's Hill, 28th May

Silver-lined Drill Dichrorampha plumbagana (male, gen det), Queen's Hill, 28th May

Obscure Drill Dichrorampha aeratana (male, gen det), Queen's Hill, 28th May

Yes, I know what you're saying - they all look the same.  Well I can safely say that I would not have correctly and confidently identified those four moths without examining their genitalia!  Just goes to show the value of dissecting a selection of moths for the purposes of ID and in doing so helping to show the value of a piece of fantastic habitat.  All 4 feed on Ox-eye Daisies of which there were plenty present.

Two Plume Moths were found - the first a Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla and the second a Breckland Plume Combrugghia distans.  I had been surprised to learn that the latter were present in the area as I didn't realise their range extended this far east away from the Brecks.

Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla, Queen's Hill, 28th May

Breckland Plume Crombrugghia distans (male, gen det), Queen's Hill, 28th May

Other things in this patch included this Brown Argus and a single Bee Orchid.

Brown Argus, Queen's Hill, 28th May

Bee Orchid, Queen's Hill, 28th May

I was surprised at first to find a Dark Gorse Piercer Grapholita internana as I hadn't noticed any Gorse, but there was at least one bush at the top of the slope above where I found it.  But there was no gorse in the other meadow where I caught another Grapholita, and that one proved to be a Vetch Piercer Grapholita jungiella, only the third time I've recorded that species.

Dark Gorse Piercer Grapholita internana, Queen's Hill, 28th May

Vetch Piercer Grapholita jungiella, Queen's Hill, 28th May

The scrub turned up a few goodies too including a Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana and, found among the leaves of its foodplant, a Colt's-foot Bell Epiblema sticticana.  That's another species that's supposed to be scarce but seems to be fairly easy to find where its foodplant is abundant.

Colt's-foot Bell Epiblema sticticana (male, gen det), Queen's Hill, 28th May

A highlight from my perspective was finding my first ever Golden Pygmy Stigmella aurella flying around some bramble.  In the identification process I was initially thrown by the fact that the base of the wings were entirely dark and only looked golden when they reflected the light at certain angles, but I got there eventually.  Not sure if the genitalia are diagnostic in females (though the large bulla seminalis, if I've identified the part correctly, doesn't seem to be present in at least some other Stigmella species?), but in any case it keyed here using the Kleine Vlinders key with each choice being a straightforward one once I realised the golden reflections were real and the wing measurements were referring to wingspan not forewing length.  Like several Stigmella species this one is extremely common with leaf-mines apparently easy to find, but the adult insect is very much more rarely encountered.

Golden Pygmy Stigmella aurella (female), Queen's Hill, 28th May

The willows at the back of the scrub provided a White-triangle Slender Caloptilia stigmatella, a species I don't find very often.

White-triangle Slender Caloptilia stigmatella, Queen's Hill, 28th May

Other moths I've not yet mentioned were 4 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella, Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus and Silver-ground Carpet.  A Scorpion Fly proved to be a female Panorpa germanica and Bugs included Dock Bug, a group of about half a dozen Hairy Shieldbugs and this nymph (I think) which I haven't yet been able to put a name to.

unidentified bug (I think?), Queen's Hill, 28th May

Royal Mantle and a second for Norfolk

Dave recently obtained permission from the NWT to trap at a number of their sites in the Brecks and Saturday before last we headed off to Cranwich Heath.  Although getting late in the season it turned out to be another excellent evening.

Before turning the light on we had a quick wander round with the net to see what we could find flying at dusk - quite a bit including 20 Barred Grass-veneers Agriphila inquinatella, 2 Breckland Plumes Crombrugghia distans and Citron Plume Hellinsia carphodactyla. The latter was really interesting after the tricky Plume I had at home recently (see here).  This was almost identical save for two things - the outer and inner fringes of the first lobe of the forewing contrasted, suggesting carphodactlya over microdactyla (the previous one had the fringe too worn to call either way) and this one was slightly smaller.  The previous one had been in the overlap zone so fitted either species, this one had a wing-span of around 16mm, marginally under the quoted range for carphodactyla so pointing more towards microdactyla.  Unlike the previous one that proved (surprisingly) to be microdactyla, upon dissection I was able to confirm this one as female carphodactyla.

Citron Plume Hellinsia carphodactyla (female, gen det), Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Breckland Plumes Crombrugghia distans (upper female, lower male; gen det), Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Barred Grass-veneer Agriphila inquinatella, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

We identified 2 macros in the field that I thought I had not seen before: Royal Mantle and 4 Feathered Gothics.  As it happened I'd have seen Feathered Gothic that night anyway as I trapped one at home too.  Royal Mantle was a very nice surprise - not only was it a new moth for both of us, a very attractive moth, a scarce moth and a Breckland speciality, but it was also unusually late.  They normally fly in June and July and so far as I can tell from the Norfolk moths data the previous latest record was 2nd August, nearly 4 weeks earlier than this.  It was a little worn but not as much as I would expect for such a late record, so I wonder if it was a second-generation?  They're not supposed to have one but several species have started to have partial second generations in recent years that never used to.

Royal Mantle, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Feathered Gothic, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

At the time I thought this Satin Wave was new too, but checking my records I find I had seen one before.

Satin Wave, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

The best of the micros weren't identified until after we got home.  First was Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella, another new one for me.  I had high hopes for a Depressaria species I retained, sure it was a species I had not seen often and suspecting it would prove to be a species that I had not seen at all before.  On keying it out it appeared to be one of two species which would be second or third for Norfolk, but I needed to dissect it to be sure which one.  Finally got to that yesterday evening and am pleased to say it proved to be Carrot Flat-body Depressaria douglasella - the second for Norfolk.  The previous county record was from Dereham in 1997.

Carrot Flat-body Depressaria douglasella (male, and its genitalia), Cranwich Heath, 29th August - the SECOND FOR NORFOLK

Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Two other micros were species I'd only seen once before: Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella and Gorse Groundling Mirificarma mulinella. The Coleophora is interesting as although it's not easy to positively identify from its external features it has a curious set of spines on the base of the abdomen which is quite unlike any of the other Coleophora species.  Apparently it is possible to see these without a full dissection if you brush away a few scales (though I didn't try that - I went the whole hog).

Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella (female) and its abdomen plus contents, Cranwich Heath, 29th August - the distinctive spines are clearly visible at the base (right hand end in the photo) of the abdomen

Gorse Groundling Mirificana mulinella, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

We saw Tawny Wave here last time we were here but even so seeing 2 Tawny Waves tonight was a nice surprise.

Tawny Waves, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

The remainder of the macros were Maiden's Blush, 2 Clay Triple-lines, Shaded Broad-bar, 4 Yellow Shells, 3 Purple Bars, Common Marbled Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, 2 Spruce Carpets, 10 Green Carpets, Dark Umber, Sharp-angled Carpet, Small Rivulet, Lime-speck Pug, White-spotted Pug, 6 Tawny Speckled Pugs, Double-striped Pug, Tawny-barred Angle, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Light Emeralds, 2 Pine Hawkmoths, Lesser Swallow Prominent, 2 Black Arches, Dingy Footman, 2 Buff Footmen, Ruby Tiger, 6 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Square-spotted Clays, 3 Square-spot Rustics, Antler Moth, Common Wainscot, 2 Dun-bars, Cloaked Minor, Lesser Common Rustic, Flounced Rustic and Straw Dot.

Clay Triple-lines, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Tawny-barred Angle, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Purple Bar, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Pine Hawkmoth, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Black Arches, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

White-spotted Pug, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Among the micros were 2 Common Purple-and-Golds Pyrausta purpuralis - which I saw for the first time in the UK only this year - and 10 Straw-barred Pearls Pyrausta despicata.

 Common Purple-and-Golds Pyrausta purpuralis, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Straw-bnarred Pearl Pyrausta despicata, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

The other micros were Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, Dusky Groundling Aroga velocella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, 3 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrices Pandemis corylana, 4 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, Large Birch Bell Epinotia brunnchana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, 8 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis and Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella.

Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana (female above, 2 males below; gen det), Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella (female, gen det), Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana, Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Didn't get much in the way of non-lepidopteran interest but a couple of bugs here...

Forest Bug (aka Red-legged Shieldbug), Cranwich Heath, 29th August

Phytocoris varipes, Cranwich Heath, 29th August