Phalonidia manniana, new for the garden, plus a new site for a Red Data Book species

This summer has been mad, and I'm afraid blog posts have fallen by the wayside.  At last I'm ready to pick up where I left off.  It will take me a while to catch up, but now making a start...

The highlight of Thursday night, 31st May, was a new moth for the garden, Water-mint Conch Phalonidia manniana.

Water-mint Conch Phalnidia manniana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 31st May

A few others were new for the year including the marvellous Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, May Highflyer (just in time?), 2 Vine's Rustics and Burnished Brass.

Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana, North Elmham, 31st May

Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, North Elmham, 31st May

May Highflyer, North Elmham, 31st May

Vine's Rustic, North Elmham, 31st May

Burnished Brass, North Elmham, 31st May

Other moths were 5 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 3 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 4 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Pebble Hook-tip, 2 Blood-veins, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, 5 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Scorched Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Pale Oak Beauty, 2 Pale Tussocks, Orange Footman, 4 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 6 Heart and Darts, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Bright-line Brown-eye, 4 Common Wainscots, Brown Rustic, 8 Treble Lines, Spectacle and Straw Dot.

There was also a Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum (mayfly), another Dasytes aeratus following my first ever the previous night and, new for the year, Cantharis decipiens.

Cantharis decipiens, North Elmham, 31st May

Next morning I went up to Brancaster mainly to look for birds, though of course I can't help looking at invertebrates at the same time.  Moths along Gypsy Lane included Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Silver-ground Carpet and 15 Silver Ys. There were lots of moths on the golf-course too but the most unexpected was a lovely Tawny Wave, a Red Data Book species that is mainly found in the Brecks.  There are very few records indeed from the north Norfolk coast, except for Scolt Head where Neil records them regularly.  Looks like this was a good year for them there.  Not sure if this one hopped across the chanel from Scolt or if they're breeding here too.

Tawny Wave, Brancaster golf-course, 1st June

 Other moths here included 8 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, 26 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 3 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Yellow Shell, Green Carpet, 15 Cinnabars and 35 Silver Ys. Caterpillars included about 25 Brown-tails and a similar number of Garden Tigers.

Brown-tail caterpillar, Brancaster golf-course, 1st June

Garden Tiger caterpillar, Brancaster golf-course, 1st June

Among the butterflies Green Hairstreak was the highlight, along with Small Copper, c. 25 Common Blues, Painted Lady and about 25 Small Heaths.

Green Hairstreak, Brancaster golf-course, 1st June

I noticed a couple of masses of small dark insects clinging to the trunk of an Elder tree by the huts.  Turns out they were Elder Aphids Aphis sambuci, the first time I've noticed any of these.

Elder Aphids Aphis sambuci, Brancaster golf-course, 1st June

There's a really impressive display of Yellow Rattle here too.  This is a species I associate with damp meadows but apparently dry duneland habitat like this is good for it too.

Yellow Rattle, Brancaster golf-course, 1st June

Two garden firsts

Moths at Ryburgh on Tuesday 30th May included 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and 4 Silver-ground Carpets.  A Broad-bodied Chaser was better and a Garden Bumblebee.

There were two new moths for the garden that night - Brindled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana and Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla.

Brindled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana, North Elmham, 30th May

Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla, North Elmham, 30th May

Some more were new for the year here: Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana and Marbled Brown.  A Small Clouded Brindle wasn't new for the year after one 5 days earlier but it was only my second here since moving in.

Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, North Elmham, 30th May

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham, 30th May

Barred Marble Celypha striana, North Elmham, 30th May

Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 30th May

Other moths were Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 4 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Common Swift, 2 Blood-veins, Flame Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Mottled Pug, 2 Currant Pugs, 12 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, White-pinion Spotted, 3 Light Emeralds, 2 Coxcomb Prominents, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, White Ermine, 4 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Marbled Minor, 11 Treble Lines, Vine's Rustic, 2 Spectacles and 8 Straw Dots.


The soldier beetle Cantharis decipiens was new for the house.  The caddisfly Limnephilus flavicornis was new for the year.  Another caddis was Hydropsyche pellucidula and there were two mayflies, both Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum.

Cantharis decipiens, North Elmham, 30th May

Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 30th May

Another visit to Burnham Overy on 31st May produced a few moths: 4 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Yellow Belle and 12 Cinnabars.  Butterflies included 2 Small Coppers, 5 Brown Arguses, 5 Common Blues and Painted Lady.  There were 3 Four-spotted Chasers and a Broad-bodied Chaser, while beetles included 2 Garden Chafers and a 7-spot Ladybird.

Broad-bodied Chaser, Burnham Overy, 31st May

On the way home I stopped at Ryburgh where a good selection of moths included Plain Gold Micropterix calthella, 6 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 4 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Square-spot Drills Dichrorampha sequana, 2 Lead-coloured Drills Dichrorampha plumbana, Silver-ground Carpet and Grass Rivulet.

Lead-coloured Drills Dichrorampha plumbana (males, gen det), Ryburgh, 31st May

Also 3 Common Blue Damselflies here and a bug nymph which I think is probably Leptopterna dolabrata - please let me know if you can confirm or otherwise.

probable Leptopterna dolabrata, Ryburgh, 31st May

Slightly fewer moths at home that night but still three new for the year: Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, Mottled Rustic and Gold Spot. The latter is normally a magnificent creature but this one was rather worse for wear.

Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoesoma sinuella, North Elmham, 31st May

Mottled Rustic, North Elmham, 31st May

Gold Spot, North Elmham, 31st May

Other insects included the caddis Limnephilus lunatus and a Black Sexton Beetle.

Bluebell Conch, a new hoverfly and some beetles

I forgot to add this photo of a Muslin Moth to my last post - I don't recall seeing the pale patches on this species before though it seems that they do vary a bit in this respect.

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 10th May

On 11th May I discovered Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella on Garlic Mustard at Ryburgh, only the second site I've seen this species.  Also Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana.

Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella, Ryburgh, 11th May

I then headed up to Thursford Wood where I hoped to find two scarce Norfolk species - Hysterophora maculosana on the Bluebells and, a bit more ambitiously as there are no modern records in Norfolk, Coleophora lutarea on the Greater Stitchwort.  The bluebells were beautiful but I couldn't find either species among them.

Bluebells, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I did find a few moths including 5 Large Long-horns Nematopogon swammerdamella, Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella, Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericiella and 2 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella.  But it wasn't until I'd left the main bluebell area and was walking through a relatively bare patch of woodland that I spotted one of my targets, Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana in flight, and duly netted it to confirm. Looks like this may only be the third vice-county record following two last year (the first of which I found at Bittering).

Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I also saw a Maiden's Blush near the rhododendrons which were looking splendid.

Maiden's Blush, Thursford Wood, 11th May

Rhododendron, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I also found this bug which I eventually resolved as Anthocoris nemorum, a species I'd not identified previously.

Anthocoris nemorum, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I saw one Large Red Damselfly here and 10 more at Brancaster where I headed next (along with 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana) and another at Titchwell Chalkpit.

As yet I haven't been able to put a name to this spider at home:

unidentified Spider, North Elmham, 11th May

That night was better than of late with 19 moths of 14 species, though still pretty rubbish for this time of year.  New for the year here were 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Small Magpie Anania hortulata and 2 Common Pugs. The others were 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, Cinnabar, Flame Shoulder and Hebrew Character.  There was also the caddisfly Glyphotaelius pellucidus and a Black Sexton Beetle.

Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 11th May

Small Magpie Anania hortulata, North Elmham, 11th May

Common Pug, North Elmham, 11th May

Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, North Elmham, 11th May

Next day I headed up to Burnham Overy where Stoat and Natterjack were among the non-avian highlights.  Moths consisted of Plain Fanner Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Yellow Belle and 2 Cinnabars - and quite a few Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella larvae.

Yellow Belle, Burnham Overy, 12th May

I stopped off at Ryburgh on the way home and found 3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and a Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella.  There was also a Common Carder Bee and the hoverfly Platycheirus manicatus, a new one for me.

Platycheirus manicatus, Ryburgh, 12th May

I retained 3 beetles for identifying at home.  Perhaps I should have been able to manage the Cantharis decipiens in the field (where I think it was one of a number on Hawthorn flowers) but I certainly wouldn't have been able to do the other two without careful keying out under the microscope - unsurprisingly (as I haven't been doing this for long) both were new to me: the ground beetle Amara anthobia and the leaf beetle Phaedon armoraciae.

Cantharis decipiens, Ryburgh, 12th May

Amara anthobia, Ryburgh, 12th May

Phaedon armoraciae, Ryburgh, 12th May