Chestnut Pigmy and Oak Eggar

After a poor night on 13th July things got back on track on 14th with 93 species of moth.  One of these was a new one for me, Chestnut Pigmy Stigmella samiatella.

Chestnut Pigmy Stigmella samiatella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

Another was new for the house: Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella.

Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

A Grey Alder Case-bearer Coleophora binderella was only my second ever, following one here in 2016.

Grey Alder Case-bearer Coleophora binderella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

A Plum Fruit Moth Grapholita funebrana was another species I had only previously seen in 2016, though I did catch 6 of them that year.

Plum Fruit Moth Grapholita funebrana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

A White-bodied Conch Cochylis hybridella was also only my second here.

White-bodied Conch Cochylis hybridella, North Elmham, 14th July

A further 5 were new for the year here: Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Oak Eggar and Maple Pug.

Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, North Elmham, 14th July

Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

Oak Eggar, North Elmham, 14th July

Maple Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

A Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps was my third here this year, surprisingly for a species I had not seen in my garden until this year.

The rest of the moths were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, 9 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Meadow Case-bearers Coleophora mayrella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, 3 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, 2 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Red-barred Tortrixes Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 5 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 2 Nut-bud Moths Epinotia tenerana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 3 Many-plume Moths Alucita hexadactyla, 12 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 48 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 3 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 18 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 3 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Buff Arches, 4 Least Carpets, 11 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Dwarf Cream Waves, 12 Single-dotted Waves, Treble Brown Spot, 8 Riband Waves, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, Common Carpet, V-Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, 4 Early Thorns, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Elephant Hawk-moth, 2 Yellow-tails, Round-winged Muslin, Rosy Footman, 16 Dingy Footmen, 19 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Heart and Club, 2 Flame Shoulders, 4 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Dun-bars, 2 Dark Arches, Slender Brindle, 2 Common Rustics, 4 Lesser Common Rustics (and another Common Rustic agg.), 3 Dusky Sallows, 18 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, 3 Mottled Rustics, 3 Nut-tree Tussocks, Straw Dot, Snout and Fan-foot.

There was a good range of other insects too.  Mayflies consisted of Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Green Drake Ephemera danica and 4 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita.  The brown lacewing Hemerobius micans was only my second here and there was a good selection of caddisflies: Oxyethira flavicornis, 2 Hydropsyche siltalai, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis, 2 Leptocerus tineiformis and Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis. Mirid bugs were Phylus palliceps and Stenotus binotatus, the latter new for the year, and beetles comprised 2 Hydrobius fuscipes, 2 Nicrophorus investigator, Rhagonycha fulva and Lagria hirta.

Boughton Fen

On Saturday 2nd July I went to Titchwell to see, after several unsuccessful attempts, the Great Knot (see my birding diary).  The visit also got me a new hoverfly, Leucozona laternaria.  Other insects included a Painted Lady, Black-tailed Skimmer and a Yellow-tail caterpillar.

Leucozona laternaria, Titchwell, 2nd July

In the evening I joined others at Boughton Fen for another Norfolk Moth Survey event.  Probably the best moth was my first Comfrey Ermel Ethmia quadrillella, though a white Coleophora also proved to be one I'd not seen before: Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella.

Comfrey Ermel Ethmia quadrillella, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella (male, gen det), Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Other moths I don't see very often included 2 Ash Bud Moths Prays fraxinella, Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella, 3 Twin-spot Carpets and Striped Wainscot.

Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Twin-spot Carpet, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Other micros included 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 3 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrices Pandemis cerasana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 20 Flax Tortrices Cnephasia asseclana (not all confirmed but all those dissected were asseclana), Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Black-brindled Bell Epinotia signatana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 6 Wainscot Veneers Chilo phragmitella, 2 Base-lined Greys Scoparia basistrigalis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Black-brindled Bell Epinotia signatana, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis (female, gen det), Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Wainscot Veneer Chilo phragmitella, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

The other macros were Ghost Moth, Buff Arches, Figure of Eighty, Common Emerald, Maiden's Blush, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, Large Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, July Highflyer, Small Rivulet, Mottled Pug, 3 Green Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Peppered Moths, 10 Mottled Beauties, Clouded Silver, Eyed Hawkmoth, Common Footman, 2 Flames, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Poplar Grey, Sycamore, Dark Arches, 3 Tawny Marbled Minors, Burnished Brass, Silver Y, Beautiful Golden Y, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Snouts and Small Fan-foot.

Sycamore (left) and Poplar Grey (right), Boughton Fen, 2nd July

July Highflyer, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

A few other inverts were identified.  Stuart confirmed the Mayfly Procloeon bifidum and a Strawberry Snail.  I can't work out what this slug is though, possibly a juvenile Black Slug agg.?

Slug sp., possibly juvnenile Black Slug agg.?, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Another one I can't ID for sure is this nymph, but I think I'm in the right ballpark with Muellerianella fairmairei.

possible Muellerianella fairmairei, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Caddisflies included Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus marmoratus plus this one that I've rarely seen: Trichostegia minor.

Trichostegia minor, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Last but not least, and another one where I can't take any credit for the ID, was this male Glow-worm (it's only the females that glow).

Glow-worm, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

At home that night Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana was the only new one for the year.  The rest were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Buff Arches, Small Emerald, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, Garden Carpet, Peppered Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Light Emerald, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, 2 Flames, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, Rufous Minor, 6 Uncertains, 3 Mottled Rustics and Fan-foot.