Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 14: Yellow Underwings and Green Arches

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE) (continued)


Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba - At least 215 recorded between 15th June and 20th October 2019 (not counted on 9 nights so probably a few more) and 110 between 11th June and 29th September 2020.  The 2020 total was my worst so far and the average annual tally is around 285.  Elsewhere recorded next door twice, 45 at the meadows (over 17 nights) and single-figure counts at Bintree Wood (twice), Whitwell Street, Swanton Great Wood, Weybourne and Row Heath (West Runton), plus 30 in Cornwall.

Large Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Large Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua fimbriata - Singles in the garden on 16th and 22nd July and 23rd September 2019 and 2nd and 31st July 2020.  I've had between 2 and 5 each year I've lived here.  A few elsewhere including 6 at the meadows (including one on the earlier date of 23rd June 2020), one at Swanton Great Wood, one at Whitwell Street, one at Weybourne and one at Row Heath (West Runton).  I sometimes gen det paler examples of this species, especially during periods of migration, to check for the feasible but not yet British (?) Noctua tirrenica, but no luck yet.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

female Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Lunar Yellow Underwing Noctua orbona - None.  In Norfolk this species is mostly found in the Brecks and I've not found it locally, but there are records all over the county including some less than a mile away so I should catch one here one day.  One very promising candidate at the meadows in 2019 turned out to be a very small Large Yellow Underwing when I managed to examine its hindwings.


Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes - Totals of 134 in the garden between 23rd June (my earliest ever) and 25th October 2019 and 148 between 2nd July and 18th October 2020 - 150 a year is average.  Elsewhere one next door, 6 at the meadows (over 5 nights), one at Swanton Great Wood, one at Row Heath (West Runton) and 3 in Cornwall.

Lesser Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Least Yellow Underwing Noctua interjecta - 2019 was my best ever year for this not-quite-annual species here with 10 between 22nd July and 6th August, but in 2020 I caught just one, on 7th August.  Also one next door on 7th August 2019.


Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua janthe - At least 42 caught in the garden between 23rd July and 4th September, but with 7 nights not counted the actual total may have been a little higher.  If not my worst year ever then nearly so.  A little better in 2020 with 83 between 26th July and 6th September, but still well under the average annual tally of 125.  Elsewhere recorded on all 4 nights next door, 11 at the meadows, 2 at Whitwell Street, 6 at Swanton Great Wood and 3 at Row Heath (West Runton).  Chris Lewis suggests a useful pick feature when looking for candidates for Langmaid's Yellow Underwing, namely that on Langmaid's the underside of the forewing costa (easily viewed with the moth in a pot) is darker proximal to the postmedian line and not usually on Lesser Broad-bordered.  After reading this I checked as many as I could for this feature in 2020 and found quite a few specimens with this character to a lesser or greater extent.  Unfortunately they all proved to be Lesser Broad-bordered, but it could nevertheless be a useful way of narrowing down the field of individuals that need a good look at the fully open wings.

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 13th August 2020

Great Brocade Eurois occulta - None.  I've never seen this species but although it's rare in Norfolk records are pretty widespread so there's got to be a chance of finding one here one day.


Double Dart Graphiphora augur - None.  I've only caught this species here in the garden on one occasion, in 2017.


Green Arches Anaplectoides prasina - One caught in Carsaig (Mull) on 12th June 2019; none in 2020.  I've only ever caught one of these superb moths in my garden, in 2016.

Green Arches, Carsaig (Mull), 12th June 2019

Next page: more Noctuidae

Ginger Button

A drop in numbers on 25th July though 447 moths of 113 species wasn't exactly terrible.  The highlight was a Ginger Button Acleris aspersana.  Not hugely rare, but the first time I've identified one.

Ginger Button Acleris aspersana (male), North Elmham, 25th July

Only two others were new for the year: a House Groundling Bryotropha domestica and the wonderful Oak Eggar.

Oak Eggar, North Elmham, 25th July

Good counts of common macros included 62 Common Footmen and the year's peak count of 44 Uncertains.  Other macros were 4 Buff Arches, 2 Common Emeralds, Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 15 Small Fan-footed Waves, Small Dusty Wave, 7 Single-dotted Waves, 13 Riband Waves, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, 3 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, Barred Yellow, July Highflyer, 6 Small Rivulets, Green Pug, 2 Small Yellow Waves, 2 Clouded Borders, Early Thorn, Purple Thorn, Peppered Moth, 5 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, Elephant Hawkmoth, 2 Iron Prominents, Coxcomb Prominent, Chocolate-tip, 3 Yellow-tails, Black Arches, Round-winged Muslin, 20 Rosy Footmen, 20 Dingy Footmen, 13 Scarce Footmen, 3 Buff Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 3 Ruby Tigers, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, 4 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Flame, 2 Flame Shoulders, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 7 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Lychnis, 4 Clays, 11 Smoky Wainscots, 3 Grey Daggers, Coronet, Straw Underwing, 2 Dun-bars, 5 Dark Arches, Rufous Minor, Tawny Marbled Minor, 2 Cloaked Minors, 2 Common Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic, Rustic, Nut-tree Tussock, Burnished Brass, 3 Spectacles, Beautiful Hook-tip, Snout and 3 Fan-foots.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 25th July

Least Carpet, North Elmham, 25th July

Iron Prominent, North Elmham, 25th July

The first 64 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana that I recorded at home this year were all males.  The first female was on 24th July and two on 25th were also female.  It doesn't seem to be uncommon among lepidoptera for males to emerge before females but with some species their appearance seems to be so discreet that one wonders how they ever manage to breed.

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, North Elmham, 25th July

The other micros were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, 12 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 8 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 2 Tipped Oak Case-bearers Coleophora flavipennella, Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella, 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Dotted Grey Groundling Athrips mouffetella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 2 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 3 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 4 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, White-triangle Button Acleris holmiana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 11 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, 6 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, 12 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis and Bee Moth Aphomia sociella.

Not much noted apart from moths, mainly because I ignored the caddisflies and mayflies for now.  Both Common Toad and Common Frog were knocking around as I went through the trap though.

Confusing Ermine

Things started to pick up again on 14th.  One species was probabaly one that I've never seen before - problem is it could be one of 2 species I've never seen before, with a chance of another that I have seen.  Three species of Yponomeutids, Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella, Apple Ermine Yponomeuta malinellus, Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella are supposed to be inseparable unless you know their foodplant, which in the case of isolated records of adults is pretty much impossible.  There are typical differences though.  Spindle is largest, on average, and has pure white background colour to the forewing including the cilia, Apple also has white background colour but may have grey cilia while Orchard usually has a greyish suffusion to the forewing and distinctly grey cilia.  Mine had really contrasting grey cilia, so can't have been Spindle, but pure white background colour to the forewings.  Size was good for Apple or Orchard, though within range for any of them.  With such white forewings I thought it unlikely to be Orchard, but I can't find any photos of Apple Ermine that have such distinct grey cilia.  There is a hint of what might be grey suffusion on the wings, but not as much as I would expect on Orchard.  I swayed between thinking Apple (because of the white background colour) and Orchard (because such contrastingly grey cilia seem to be more typical of that species), but it must go down as either or.  Actually I'm not 100% sure it's even that.  In the photos there does seem to be a slight greyish suffusion in a patch within the rear half of the wing.  I thought this was wear at the time but it's the same on both sides.  Could it even be Willow Ermine Yponomeuta rorrella?

Ermine sp. Yponomeuta sp., North Elmham, 14th July

Other highlights included Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, a species I saw at Bawdeswell a couple of times but haven't seen for 4 years.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 14th July

Also new for the year here were Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, White Satin, 2 Scarce Footmen, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Marbled Beauty.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 14th July

Scarce Footman, North Elmham, 14th July

Marbled Beauty, North Elmham, 14th July

Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, North Elmham, 14th July

Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, North Elmham, 14th July

Other micros were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Variegated Golden Tortrixes Archips xylosteana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 4 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 8 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, North Elmham, 14th July

Other macros were Ghost Moth, 2 Buff Arches, Small Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, 7 Riband Waves, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, Barred Yellow, 3 V-Pugs, 2 Green Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, 3 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 3 Rosy Footmen, 11 Common Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Flame, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 7 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Grey Dagger, 3 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Rufous Minor, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 3 Common Rustics, 15 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Spectacle, Straw Dot, 2 Snouts, 3 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 14th July

Riband Wave (left) and Small Emerals (right), North Elmham, 14th July

Rufous Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

Some interesting bits and pieces among the other insects in the trap, including the Mayfly Baetis scambus, a new one for me.  The Hoverfly Baccha elongata was new for the house.  Caddisflies included Polycentropus flavomaculatus, 2 Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus lunatus.

Baetis scambus, North Elmham, 14th July

Baccha elongata, North Elmham, 14th July