Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Case-bearers (Coleophoridae) (Part 2)

 CASE-BEARERS (COLEOPHORIDAE)


Grey Alder Case-bearer Coleophora binderella - One in the garden moth trap on 16th July 2020.  I've recorded this species here twice before, in 2016 and 2018.

female Grey Alder Case-bearer Coleophora binderella, North Elmham, 16th July 2020

White-legged Case-bearer Coleophora albitarsella - One in the garden trap on 8th August 2019.  This was my fourth, all since 2016.  Although the tarsi have sometimes been detectably paler than the rest of the legs I don't think I've caught one that has really obvious white tarsi yet.  They're quite overlookable when a bit worn and I resort to gen detting in the absence of clear white scales on the tarsi.  Also an occupied larval case on Ground Ivy at the meadows on 25th October 2020 and feeding signs where one had been on another date.

female White-legged Case-bearer Coleophora albitarsella, North Elmham, 8th August 2019

feeding signs and larval case of White-legged Case-bearer Coleophora albitarsella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th October 2020

Large Clover Case-bearer Coleophora trifolii - None.  I've only ever found one of these, which I caught in my next-door neighbour's garden in 2016.  At least I know they're nearby - surely one will turn up in my own garden before too long?


Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella - One trapped here on 25th May 2019 followed by another 8 between 17th July and 30th August, then in 2020 15 between 31st July and 15th August.  I've had worse years but sometimes this species is sometimes much commoner (e.g. 39 trapped here in 2018).  Also trapped next door, at the meadows and at Whitwell Street (the latter being my latest in these years, 3rd September 2020).  This species is now listed as grade 2, i.e. it can be recorded without gen detting, and in theory antennal structure should give away deauratella, however the deauratella I caught (confirmed by gen det) didn't show this feature very obviously, and if you want to prove the presence of frischella in Norfolk I'm not sure you'll have much chance if you simply record alcyonipennella-like moths as that without dissecting them to check.  I also think it would be quite possible to mix these up with some of the other dark Coleophora that aren't usually listed as confusion species, like Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora paripennella for example.  Nevertheless, when I have a big backlog of moths requiring gen detting it's going to be tempting now to let some go without confirming, and indeed some of the later ones I recorded in 2019 were not checked.

male Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

male Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

male Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, North Elmham, 6th August 2019

male Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

female Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Whitwell Street, 3rd September 2020

Spikenard Case-bearer Coleophora conyzae - One trapped at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  Although there are only a dozen records of this species in Norfolk I've trapped a couple at Weybourne before (need to look into why those records aren't showing - I thought someone else had submitted them) and also a couple here in North Elmham (2016 and 2018).

female Spikenard Case-bearer Coleophora conyzae, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea - A total of 28 trapped here between 16th June and 30th August 2019 and 13 between 12th July and 18th August 2020.  2019 was my best ever year for this species, which was previously averaging at about 15 per year.  Despite being one of my commonest Coleophora here, since moving here in 2014 I've hadn't recorded it anywhere else, even at the meadows where 2 of its foodplants grow, but in 2020 I had one at Bintree Wood too (where I'd also caught it back in 2012).

male Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, North Elmham, 17th June 2019

female Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Bintree Wood, 24th July 2020

Black-stigma Case-bearer Coleophora hemerobiella - My first and second records of this species fell in 2020, in my garden trap on 21st and 30th July.  It's meant to be readily identifiable on the strength of the dark spot on its forewings but some caution is required as other species can show dark spots in a similar position due to wear, and clypeiferella seems to show this most of the time.  However in reality hemerobiella really is quite distinctive, more so than I had expected, not so much because of the dark spot but the overall appearance being quite whitish on the background (so not really confusable with clypeiferella) and with a generous dusting of dark speckling covering the wings.  

male Black-stigma Case-bearer Coleophora hemerobiella, North Elmham, 21st July 2020

Black-stigma Case-bearer Coleophora hemerobiella, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

Lotus Case-bearer Coleophora discordella - None.  A frequently-recorded Coleophora that I haven't found yet.


Red-clover Case-bearer Coleophora deauratella - None.  I've not recorded this species locally yet but with plenty of Red Clover growing at the meadows I'd have throught I must be in with a chance.


Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella - 3 in the garden between 28th June and 5th July 2019 and 6 between 15th June and 6th August 2020.  3 here in a year is below average (6-7 is average) but it wasn't quite the worst year (one in 2016).  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows, one at Hellsedon and 2 at Weybourne, all between 25th May and 14th July 2019.  With its white-ringed antennae this species is readily separated from other bronzy-green Coleophora.

Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, North Elmham, 19th June 2020

Next page: more Coleophora

Tansy Plume and more

After a good evening at the meadows I had an even better night at home on 5th July.  I caught 418 moths of 108 species and these included a very nice lifer, a Tansy Plume Gillmeria ochrodactyla.  Remarkably, given that there are 30 county records, all 30 were in east Norfolk (if only just over the border in one or two cases) so mine becomes the first record for west Norfolk, vice county VC28.  Even in the east it's pretty scarce - there were no records in 2017 for example.

Tansy Plume Gillmeria ochrodactyla, North Elmham, 5th July

This little Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella was new for the garden.

Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 5th July

Another potential new moth for the garden escaped before I could determine it but it looked suspiciously like Brown-dotted Clothes Moth Niditinea fuscella.  The much commoner Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella, as well as other rarer clothes moths, can look very similar and you really need to gen det them to be sure - this one got away before I'd even taken a photo let alone got it near a microscope.

Perhaps the rarest moth on a county-level was Spikenard Case-bearer Coleophora conyzae - my second here following one in 2016 but just the 10th record for the county.  This one wasn't in great nick with broken antennae and a mite bothering it.

Spikenard Case-bearer Coleophora conyzae (male, gen det), North Elmham, 5th July

Other new moths for the year were Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Slender Pug and Marbled Beauty.

Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, North Elmham, 5th July

Marbled Beauty, North Elmham, 5th July

There were 2 Viburnum Buttons Acleris schalleriana.  Although records of this species appear to be increasing, catching two adults together in one night appears to be unprecedented in Norfolk (although some records are listed as 'present' without a count, so these could feasibly have involved multiples).  I caught my first in 2016, four in 2017 and will end up with considerably more than this in 2018 (8 confirmed so far but a few more candidates pending confirmation).   They can look very similar to Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana and I have overlooked some of mine as that species until getting them under the microscope (and at least one has gone the other way, with schalleriana suspected but turned out to be laterana).

Viburnum Buttons Acleris schalleriana (males, gen det), North Elmham, 5th July

There were 97 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, the largest count of any single moth species so far this year, and the peak count for this species.

Other moths were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, Cypress-tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 4 Hawthorn Ermines Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 3 Plain Conches Phtheochroa inopiana, 7 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 13 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 2 Red-barred Tortrixes Ditula angustiorana, 3 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 8 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 12 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, 2 Bramble Shoots Notocelia uddmanniana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 3 Many-plume Moths Alucita hexadactyla, 4 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 5 Satin Grass-veneers Crambus perlella, 6 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 7 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 11 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Buff Arches, Common Emerald, Small Blood-vein, 12 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Dwarf Cream Waves, 8 Single-dotted Waves, 15 Riband Waves, 2 Garden Carpets, Common Carpet, 4 Barred Straws, Common Marbled Carpet, Barred Yellow, Scallop Shell, 2 Sandy Carpets, Wormwood Pug, 3 Common Pugs, 2 V-Pugs, Green Pug, 4 Double-striped Pugs, Small Yellow Wave, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, 2 Early Thorns, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, 3 Elephant Hawk-moths, Coxcomb Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, Round-winged Muslin, 10 Rosy Footmen, 5 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 30 Common Footmen, 2 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Clubs, 2 Flames, 4 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, Smoky Wainscot, Dark Arches, Common Rustic, 9 Uncertains, Rustic, 4 Mottled Rustics, Marbled White Spot, Spectacle, 2 Straw Dots, 2 Snouts, Pinion-streaked Snout, 9 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Scallop Shell, North Elmham, 5th July

Pinion-streaked Snout, North Elmham, 5th July

There was a good range of other insects in the trap too, including a new beetle for me, Ocys quinquestriatus.  Other beetles were Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes (new for the year here), 4 Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva, Orange Ladybird and Lagria hirta.

Ocys quinquestriatus, North Elmham, 5th July

Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes, North Elmham, 5th July

The mayfly Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, the green lacewing Dichochrysa flavifrons and the leafhopper Iassus lanio were all new for the year; there was also the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus, the caddisflies Limnephilus lunatus and Leptocerus tineiformis and the mirid bug Phylus coryli.

the brown form of Iassus lanio, North Elmham, 5th July

Weybourne moths

One of the saddest events at the end of last year was the untimely death of Martin Preston.  He and Maureen created a wonderful bird and moth-rich garden at their home at Weybourne and I was fortunate to visit it on a number of occasions, usually to see an unusual bird that Martin had trapped.  On 21st July their son-in-law Ben set the moth traps in the garden once again, kindly inviting Dave and me to have a look through them with him the following morning.  One of the personal highlights was this Tawny Shears - I think one of the top 3 most common and widespread moths in Norfolk that I hadn't previously seen.

Tawny Shears, Weybourne, 21st July

Other macros I don't see very often included Bordered Beauty, Poplar Kitten, White-line Dart, 10 + Rosy Minors, Twin-spotted Wainscot and Brown-veined Wainscot.

Bordered Beauty, Weybourne, 21st July

Poplar Kitten, Weybourne, 21st July

White-line Dart, Weybourne, 21st July

Rosy Minor, Weybourne, 21st July

Twin-spotted Wainscot, Weybourne, 21st July

Brown-veined Wainscot, Weybourne, 21st July

I probably missed jotting down some of the macros I saw (Ben has a more complete list) but the others that I'm sure I saw were Drinker, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Buff Arches, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, Least Carpet, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, Small Phoenix, Yellow-barred Brindle, Magpie Moth, Scorched Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Early Thorn, Purple Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Willow Beauty, Engrailed, Privet Hawk-moth, Pine Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, Brown-tail, Yellow-tail, Black Arches, Fen Wainscot, Rosy Footman, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, Common Footman, Garden Tiger, Ruby Tiger, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Double Square-spot, Nutmeg, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown-line Bright Eye, Southern Wainscot, Smoky Wainscot, Knot Grass, Dun-bar, Dark Arches, Cloaked Minor, Common Rustic agg., Dusky Sallow, Uncertain, Rustic, Nut-tree Tussock, Silver Y, Spectacle and Snout.

Knot Grass, Weybourne, 21st July

Due to the sheer number of moths trapped at this location relatively little attention has been paid to the micros, and so Dave and I were keen to record as many of these as possible.  Among them was my first adult Lime Bent-wing Bucculatrix thoracella.

Lime Bent-wing Bucculatrix thoracella, Weybourne, 21st July

There were also Daisy Bent-wing Bucculatrix nigricomella and Hawthorn Bent-wing Bucculatrix bechsteinella, bringing the total number of Bucculatrix species I saw that morning to four (including the Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella that I had at home - see my last blog post) - which must be a record!

Daisy Bent-wing Bucculatrix nigricomella, Weybourne, 21st July

Hawthorn Bent-wing Bucculatrix bechsteinella (male, gen det), Weybourne, 21st July

Arguably the best record was 2 Spikenard Case-bearers Coleophora conyzae, a species only recorded in Norfolk 8 times previously and never on the north coast (previous records included one in my garden last year, 4 larval records from Foxley Wood and 3 records from the Brecks).

Spikenard Case-bearer Coleophora conyzae (male, gen det), Weybourne, 21st July

Other species I rarely see included 2 Copper Ermels Roeslerstammia erxlebella, White-legged Case-bearer Coleophora albitarsella, Long-winged Shade Cnephasia longana and 3 Pine Leaf-mining Moths Clavigesta purdeyi.

White-legged Case-bearer Coleophora albitarsella (male, gen det), Weybourne, 21st July

Long-winged Shade Cnephasia longana (male, gen det), Weybourne, 21st July

Pine Leaf-mining Moth Clavigesta purdeyi (male, gen det), Weybourne, 21st July

Probably the most numerous moth was Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella - I guesstimated over 100 of these, far more than I've ever seen before on one night.  Other species included Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, White-triangle Slender Caloptilia stigmatella, Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, Dull Red Groundling Bryotropha senectella, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Marbled Cosmet Mompha propinquella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Cnephasia sp., Barred Marble Celypha striana, Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis and Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella.

All in all a pretty good showing, so thanks for having us Ben and Maureen.

Monster night: 838 moths, 152 species, 5 lifers, all in one night in one tiny garden

23rd July was a monster.  I mentioned in my account of a couple of nights previous that there was a ring of Water Veneers round the trap in the evening, mostly vanished by first light.  It was the same on 23rd, except there were even more: a writhing mass of 250 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella in a circle round the trap when I went to bed and almost none evident come the morning.  Well that was interesting enough, but it was also a good indication of what a good night it would prove to be.

It was the micros that generated most of the excitement.  Indeed there were more micros - and more species of micro - than macros.  So sorry if you're only interested in macros - they weren't bad either, but you'll have to scroll down to read about them.

My first lifer was a unique yellow-spotted species that I've long wanted to see.  It's pretty local and most records in Norfolk are from the east, so it wasn't one I was particularly expecting at home.  In the end it wasn't quite as peculiar-looking and remarkable as it looks in some of the photos elsewhere, and it never held its forelegs out perpendicularly as they do in their most characteristic pose.  But even so, an exciting find.  It was, of course, Alder Signal Stathmopoda pedella.

Alder Signal Stathmopoda pedella, North Elmham, 23rd July

Second was another relatively straightforward moth to identify (i.e. it didn't need dissecting), though unlike the last this one wasn't on my radar at all.  It was a Juniper Argent Argyresthia dilectella.  There are only 8 previous records of this species in Norfolk and only one in the last 8 years, so quite a scarce moth it would seem.

Juniper Argent Argyresthia dilectella, North Elmham, 23rd July

The third one was the last one that was obvious before getting the microscope out, a Lichen Sober Dichomeris alacella.  This one wasn't recorded in Norfolk between 1889 and 2011 but there have been multiple records every year since then.

Lichen Sober Dichomeris alacella, North Elmham, 23rd July

The last two lifers didn't materialise until I dissected the Coleophora I'd retained and were Spikenard Case-bearer Coleophora conyzae and Grey Alder Case-bearer Coleophora binderella.  The former is known only from the Brecks and Foxley Wood in Norfolk, with just 6 previous records, mostly larvae.  Binderella is a little more frequently recorded, though not much with only 4 previous records listed as relating to adults.

Spikenard Case-bearer Coleophora conyzae (female, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Grey Alder Case-bearer Coleophora binderella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Two other species were new for the house: Marbled Conch Eupoecilia angustana and Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana.

Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, North Elmham, 23rd July

Marbled Conch Eupoecilia angustana, North Elmham, 23rd July

No shortage of other micros that were new for the year here: Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, White-headed Ermel Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora paripennella, New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, Dotted Grey Groundling Athrips mouffetella, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 2 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Pine Cosmet Batrachedra pinicolella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, White-triangle Button Acleris holmiana, Brown Elm Bell Epinotia abbreviana, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata and Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis.

White-triangle Button Acleris holmiana, North Elmham, 23rd July

Dotted Grey Groundling Athrips mouffetella, North Elmham, 23rd July

New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, North Elmham, 23rd July

Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora paripennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, North Elmham, 23rd July

Pine Cosmet Batrachedra pinicolella, North Elmham, 23rd July

Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Other highlights among the micros were 2 Dull Red Groundlings Bryotropha senectella, Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella, Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella, Rose Tortrix Archips rosana, 2 Cereal Tortrixes Cnephasia pumicana, Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana and Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis.

Obscure Slender Oegoconia deauratella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Dull Red Groundling Bryotropha senectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella, North Elmham, 23rd July

Cereal Tortrixes Cnephasia pumicana (males, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

A long list of other micros not so far mentioned: Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella (plus 2 unidentified Phyllonorycter probably the same), 20 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Hawthorn Ermels Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 7 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 4 Common Oak Case-bearers Coleophora lutipennella, Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella, 2 Grey Rush Case-bearers Coleophora glaucicolella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 3 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, 4 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 3 Bulrush Cosmets Limnaecia phragmitella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, 6 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, 3 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 9 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 6 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 5 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 4 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, 3 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 2 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 11 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 7 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, 2 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, 9 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 4 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 16 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 3 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella and False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella.

Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, North Elmham, 23rd July

Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Among the macros just five were new for the year here: Slender Pug, Black Arches, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Fen Wainscot and Small Rufous.

Black Arches, North Elmham, 23rd July

Fen Wainscot, North Elmham, 23rd July

Lesser Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 23rd July

Slender Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Small Rufous, North Elmham, 23rd July

There was a particularly good show of Footmen with 31 Rosy Footmen, 43 Dingy Footmen, 14 Scarce Footmen and 49 Common Footmen.

Phoenix and Bordered Pug were probably the best of the rest, the others being Pebble Hook-tip, 3 Chinese Characters, 2 Small Blood-veins, 12 Small Fan-footed Waves, 15 Single-dotted Waves, 23 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, 6 Shaded Broad-bars, 4 Common Carpets, 2 Yellow Shells, July Highflyer, 5 Small Rivulets, Grey Pug, 2 Green Pugs, Double-striped Pug, 2 Small Yellow Waves, 6 Clouded Borders, 4 Brimstone Moths, 5 Early Thorns, 4 Scalloped Oaks, Swallow-tailed Moth, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawkmoth, 3 Elephant Hawkmoths, Coxcomb Prominent, 6 Yellow-tails, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 12 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Brown-line Bright-eye, 9 Clays, 5 Smoky Wainscots, 4 Dun-bars, 2 Dark Arches, Slender Brindle, Rufous Minor, 3 Cloaked Minors, Common Rustic (plus a Common Rustic agg.), 2 Dusky Sallows, Ear Moth, 35 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, Nut-tree Tussock, Burnished Brass, 2 Spectacles, 3 Straw Dots, 2 Snouts and 7 Fan-foots.

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (female, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Ear Moth (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Slender Brindle, North Elmham, 23rd July

There were some good things among the other insects too, including some more lifers.  This Dark Bush-cricket was new for the house.

Dark Bush-cricket, North Elmham, 23rd July

The Green Lacewings turned out to consist of 4 species, two of which were new to me: Chrysopa commata, Cunctochrysa albolineata, 2 Dichochrysa flavifrons and Dichochrysa prasina - the albolineata and prasina being the lifers.

Cunctochrysa albolineata, North Elmham, 23rd July

Dichochrysa prasina, North Elmham, 23rd July

One caddisfly was a lifer: Agraylea multipunctata.  It was quite worn and not the prettiest creature I saw that night.  Others were Orthotrichia costalis, Crunoecia irrorata (this was the species which looked like it might be new for the vice county when I had one before, but I've still not checked if that is the case or not), Limnephilus lunatus, 2 Athripsodes aterrimus, Leptocerus tineiformis and 5 Mystacides longicornis.

Agraylea multipunctata, North Elmham, 23rd July

Crunoecia irrorata, North Elmham, 23rd July

Orthotrichia costalis, North Elmham, 23rd July

What a cracking night!  The only downside was that it took me 6 hours to go through the trap, several more hours to photograph what I retained for closer examination and process the photos and countless more hours to dissect all those that needed gen detting.  An awful lot of time invested in one night's mothing, but fantastic results and well worth the effort.  And the next day still to come... expect an even bigger species count!