Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Hook-tips, Lutestrings and allies (Drepanidae)

HOOK-TIPS, LUTESTRINGS and allies (DREPANIDAE)


Scalloped Hook-tip Falcaria lacertinaria - Singles in the garden trap on 14th July 2019 and 21st May 2020, my first here since 2016.  I had 3 in autumn 2014 just after moving in, one in 2015 and one in 2016.  Elsewhere singles at the meadows on 22nd April and 4th August 2019, 2 at Sculthorpe Moor on 26th April 2019 and one at Bintree Wood on 24th July 2020.

Scalloped Hook-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Scalloped Hook-tip, North Elmham, 21st May 2020

Oak Hook-tip Watsonalla binaria - One caught at home on 3rd August 2019 and 5 here between 18th May and 24th July 2020.  5 represents the best year here so far - I've had between 1-3 before.  Elsewhere one next door, 8 at the meadows (including 5 on 7th August 2020) and 2 at Bintree Wood.

Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham, 3rd August 2019

Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd September 2019

Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham, 18th May 2020

Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Spiny Hook-tip Watsonalla uncinula - One to LEDs in Spain in February 2020, the first time I've seen this non-British species that's pretty similar to our Oak Hook-tip.

Spiny Hook-tip, between Sant Vicenc and Torrelles de Llobregat, 23rd February 2020

Dusky Hook-tip Watsonalla cultraria - None.  Away from a few hotspots this species is pretty rare in Norfolk but there are scattered records from quite a lot of the county so perhaps the odds of finding one locally aren't impossibly low.


Pebble Hook-tip Drepana falcataria - Totals of 15 in the garden trap between 16th July and 6th August 2019 and 11 between 21st July and 19th August 2020, totals that are a bit below average.  Elsewhere one next door, 3 at the meadows, one at Bintree Wood, one at Weybourne, a later one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019 and 2 earlier ones at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020.

Pebble Hook-tip, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Pebble Hook-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Chinese Character Cilix glaucata - One in the garden and 2 at the meadows between 21st April and 31st May 2019 and then commoner in the summer generation with 16 here between 6th July and 2nd September, and 2 more at the meadows.  I've averaged 33 a year here - this was my worst year so far. 2020 was a little better though still below par - 5 between 18th and 20th May and 34 between 8th July and 3rd September; also 1-2 at the meadows, Whitwell Street, Hills and Holes and Brancaster.

Chinese Character, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Chinese Character, North Elmham, 19th May 2020

Peach Blossom Thyatira batis - One at the meadows on 26th July 2019.  2019 and 2020 were my first blank years at home though apart from 4 in 2015 I've only had one per year so the occasional nil return isn't all that surprising.

Peach Blossom, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

Buff Arches Habrosyne pyritoides - Singles at home on 5th and 6th July 2019 and 26th June 2020, 2 very bad showings for a species that had been averaging 16 a year here.  Also one at Hellesdon on 14th July 2019.

Buff Arches, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

Figure of Eighty Tethea ocularis - None in 2019 - my first blank year here - but one on 28th May 2020.  I only average one a year so a blank year was bound to happen sooner or later.

Figure of Eighty, North Elmham, 28th May 2020

Common Lutestring Ochropacha duplaris - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  North east Norfolk seems to be a bit of a hotspot for this species - my only previous record was of 3 near Selbrigg in 2014.

Common Lutestring, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Oak Lutestring Cymatophorina diluta - Dave N and I were very grateful to Ben D for arranging access to Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.  Our main target was this species which is pretty much restricted to this site in Norfolk (there have been just a couple of records elsewhere since the 1800s).  We scored, and we scored well - they were the first moths in and we caught a total of at least 26.

Oak Lutestrings, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Frosted Green Polyploca ridens - 9 at home between 6th April and 3rd May.  This was my best year yet though not far ahead of the 8 in 2018.  In contrast just 2 in 2020, on 15th and 21st April - not my worst year as I didn't have any at all in 2017.  Elsewhere 6 at the meadows on 22nd April 2019 and one at Sculthorpe Moor on 26th.

Frosted Green, North Elmham, 20th April 2019

Frosted Green, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Frosted Green, North Elmham, 15th April 2020

Yellow Horned Achlya flavicornis - Singles in the garden trap on 5th March 2019 and 7th March 2020 were only my second and third here following one in 2016.

Yellow Horned, North Elmham, 5th March 2019

Yellow Horned, North Elmham, 7th March 2020

Next page: Lasiocampidae plus

Leopard Moth and Red-tipped Clearwing

New for the year on 4th July were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana and Leopard Moth.

Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, North Elmham, 4th July

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, North Elmham, 4th July

Leopard Moth, North Elmham, 4th July

The other moths were 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Drinker, Small Fan-footed Wave, 7 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, Barred Straw, 3 Clouded Borders, 2 Willow Beauties, Engrailed, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Coxcomb Prominent, Dingy Footman, 33 Common Footmen, 11 Buff Ermines, Double Square-spot, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Dark Arches, 3 Common Rustics, 13 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, 2 Burnished Brasses, Straw Dot and Fan-foot.

A whirligig beetle proved to be a Common Whirligig Gyrinus substriatus, the first time I have identified any of this family to species level.  There was also another Lagria hirta.

Common Whirligig Gyrinus substriatus, North Elmham, 4th July

Other things included the brown lacewings Hemerobius humulinus, the caddisflies Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus marmoratus, a Common Toad and new for the garden, the common centipede Lithobius forficatus.

Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus, North Elmham, 4th July

I left the pheromone lure for Red-tipped Clearwing out in the garden and attracted one Red-tipped Clearwing, my first of the year.

Red-tipped Clearwing, North Elmham, 4th July - with a close-up showing the vivid orange palps

A morning visit to the Cathedral Meadows was productive, being one of the better days for butterflies including 3 Large Whites, 13 Green-veined Whites, 35 Meadow Browns, 120 Ringlets, 5 Gatekeepers (the only date I saw multiple Gatekeepers this year), Essex Skipper and 20 Small Skippers.  Moths consisted of Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 3 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella and 6 Cinnabar caterpillars.

Essex Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

I retained this Field Grasshopper in order to confirm its identification, not realising that it wasn't fully adult - when I looked at it later in the week it had moulted.

Field Grasshopper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

the same Field Grasshopper and its former skin on 9th July

Dragonflies included Banded Demoiselle and 2 Ruddy Darters.

Banded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Ruddy Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

There were lots of Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva again (at least the two I checked were this species and the others looked the same), as well as 7-spot Ladybirds and Swollen-thighed Beetles.

A Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes was a new one for me; other hymenoptera included German Wasp, 10 Red-tailed Bumblebees and Common Carder Bee.  Hoverflies included probable Sphaerophoria taeniata, Cheilosia illustrata and Volucella pellucens.

Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

I think this leafmine on a Sow-thistle belongs to the fly Liriomyza sonchi.

leafmine of Liriomyza sonchi on Sow-thistle sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

I returned to the meadows that night for some moth-trapping.  This proved successful and I caught 104 species before heading home.  Although there was nothing enormously exciting among them there were plenty of good moths like Sorrel Bent-wing Opostega salaciella, Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, 2 White-foot Bells Epiblema foenella, Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, Peach Blossom, Buff Arches and Dotted Fan-foot.

Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Buff Arches, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Dotted Fan-foot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

In theory you can't separate Orchard, Apple and Spindle Ermines from one another but I'm not sure either Apple or Spindle can ever get as grey as some Orchard Ermines, in which case this one was surely an Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella.

probable Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

The others were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Hawthorn Ermines Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 2 Common Oak Case-bearers Coleophora lutipennella, 2 Tipped Oak Case-bearers Coleophora flavipennella, 8 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, 3 Knapweed Conches Agapeta zoegana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 4 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 2 Green Oak Tortrixes Tortrix viridana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, 2 Bramble Shoots Notocelia uddmanniana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 3 Satin Grass-veneers Crambus perlella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 5 Dotted Oak Knot-horns Phycita roborella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 4 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, Barred Yellow, Small Rivulet, Bordered Pug, Small Yellow Wave, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, 3 Swallow-tailed Moths, 2 Peppered Moths, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, 2 Clouded Silvers, Poplar Hawk-moth, 4 Elephant Hawk-moths, Iron Prominent, 2 Coxcomb Prominents, Yellow-tail, Round-winged Muslin, Rosy Footman, Dingy Footman, 10 Common Footmen, Buff Ermine, Ruby Tiger, Short-cloaked Moth, Heart and Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Clay, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Poplar Grey, Knot Grass, Dun-bar, Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Tawny Marbled Minor, Dusky Sallow, Uncertain, Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, Spectacle, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot, 2 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

White Plume Pterophorus pentadactylus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Brimstone Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Coxcomb Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Rosy Footman, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Other insects included Common Earwig, the caddisflies Goera pilosa and Limnephilus rhombicus and the beetle Lagria hirta.