Chocolate in the bedroom

A Dark-edged Bee-fly in the garden on Saturday was new for the garden.

My butterfly list for the meadows was pretty poor with most of my visits so far either being early in the morning, late in the afternoon/evening, overnight or on cloudy days.  So on Saturday I decided to go mid afternoon in the hope of adding some species.  In fact it was very poor for butterflies considering the lovely warm sunshine, just the same 5 species I'd already seen there: 4 Green-veined Whites, 3 Orange-tips, Brimstone, Peacock and 2 Small Tortoiseshells.

There were several Vetch Piercers Grapholita jungiella flying in one of the fields, the first time I've ever seen this species in multiples, and at least 7 Large Red Damselflies.

Large Red Damselfly, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

This beetle proved to be my first Bembidion lampros.

Bembidion lampros, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

There was my first green lacewing for the site, a female Chrysoperla carnea agg. and hoverflies included this fine Leucozona lucorum.

Leucozona lucorum, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Dark-edged Bee-fly, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Among the bees were 6+ Common Carder Bees, Honey Bee and over 20 Flavous Nomad Bees Nomada flava.

Common Carder Bee, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Honey Bee, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Flavous Nomad Bee Nomada flava, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

I found some more evidence of oak gall wasps - one isolated Oak sapling was covered in them - at least 40.

Oak galls, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

I always think of Alexanders as being a coastal plant, so I had been surprised to find a single plant of what I think is this species near the chapel ruins.  Sounds like it does occur well inland though mainly along salted roads.

Alexanders, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Other botanical interest included my second species of Horsetail for the site, Marsh Horsetail.

Marsh Horsetail, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

At home this Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella was flying around the garden, my first here this year.

Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham, 5th May

That night I trapped Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Brindled Pug, 2 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Swallow Prominent, 3 Muslin Moths, 3 Hebrew Characters and the hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus.

Next day I found what appears to be a Large Gorse Mining Bee Andrena bimaculata in my dining room.  Unexpected as there's no gorse in my garden or very close by, but it seems to key out to this species and everything checks out ok so far as I can tell.

Large Gorse Mining Bee Andrena bimaculata, North Elmham, 6th May

A worn micro moth was netted from the Cathedral Meadows and at first I couldn't work out what it was.  When it eventually settled I could see the tell-tale signs - it was a Garden Lance-wing Epermenia chaerophyllella. I'm sure my source of vernacular names for micro moths had this down as Golden Lance-wing before, which I always thought was quite inappropriate.  Maybe it had been a typo as it's now showing as Garden Lance-wing - much better.

Garden Lance-wing Epermenia chaerophyllella, Cathedral Meadows, 6th May

I stayed until dark at which point a few more things started to appear, including the beetle Leistus spinibarbis and a couple of moths seen in torchlight: Green Carpet and Common Pug.  But temperatures were now dropping so I didn't give it long.

Leistus spinibarbis, Cathedral Meadows, 6th May

The contents of my moth trap that night were nice, if not particularly exciting: 3 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Swallow Prominent, 2 Muslin Moths, 2 Hebrew Characters and 2 Nut-tree Tussocks.  But missing my trap and heading straight in to the bedroom was this lovely Chocolate-tip, my first of the year.

Chocolate-tip, North Elmham, 5th May

Pale Eggar and Sycamore-seed Pigmy

Three new macros for the garden year list on 28th August including my second ever Pale Eggar.  The other two were Frosted Orange and Pinion-streaked Snout.

Pale Eggar, North Elmham, 28th August

Frosted Orange, North Elmham, 28th August

Pinion-streaked Snout, North Elmham, 28th August

Two of the 3 Silver Ys were the tiny variant f. gammina, while other migrants included Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella and Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis.

Silver Ys (typical individual above, f. gammina below), North Elmham, 28th August

The rest were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 2 Black-headed Conches Cochylis atricapitana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, 12 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 3 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Garden Carpets, Common Carpet, Purple Bar, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 5 Green Carpets, Double-striped Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, 16 Brimstone Moths, 2 Dusky Thorns, Willow Beauty, Common Wave, Poplar Hawkmoth, 11 Flame Shoulders, 19 Large Yellow Underwings, 10 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, 14 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 10 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Knot Grass, Copper Underwing, 11 Flounced Rustics, 4 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle, 9 Straw Dots and 8 Snouts.

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 28th August

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, North Elmham, 28th August

Other wildlife included Common Frog, the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius lutescens, Forest Bug and a Common Carder Bee.

Common Carder Bee, North Elmham, 28th August

There were far fewer moths on 29th - just these: Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Orange Swift, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Garden Carpets, 2 Common Carpets, Double-striped Pug, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Dusky Thorn, Light Emerald, 7 Flame Shoulders, 12 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2 Small Square-spots, 7 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 10 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Mouse Moth, 5 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, 4 Burnished Brasses and Snout.

The day after was better again, the highlight being a new moth for me, Sycamore-seed Pigmy Ectoedemia decentella.

Sycamore-seed Pigmy Ectoedemia decentella, North Elmham, 28th August

A Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella was, perhaps surprisingly, new for the house.

Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 28th August

This Feathered Gothic was also new for the year.

Feathered Gothic, North Elmham, 28th August

The rest were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, 3 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Small Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, Common Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 7 Green Carpets, Lime-speck Pug, Triple-spotted Pug, 2 Currant Pugs, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Treble-bars, 2 Yellow-barred Brindles, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Willow Beauty, 7 Light Emeralds, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Dingy Footman, 5 Flame Shoulders, 19 Large Yellow Underwings, 13 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 4 Small Square-spots, 13 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, Six-striped Rustic, 7 Square-spot Rustics, White-point, 2 Common Wainscots, Straw Underwing, 5 Flounced Rustics, Burnished Brass, Silver Y, Spectacle, 8 Straw Dots and 10 Snouts.

Bugs included Lygus pratensis, new for the house, Birch Shieldbug, Forest Bug and the leafhopper Balclutha punctata.  Lacewings were represented by Hemerobius humulinus.

Lygus pratensis, North Elmham, 28th August

Balclutha punctata, North Elmham, 28th August

A good mimic

Last Thursday I went for a walk with Vitty at Kelling Heath.  I was hoping to find some moths, especially Eriocrania as I know there are a number of those occurring there.  Not successful in that respect - just found 2 Feathered Brights Incurvaria masculella, 3 Green Long-horns Adela reaumurella and 5 Grey Gorse Piercers Cydia ulicetana. A few butterflies included a nice Green Hairstreak.

We also went to East Ruston Old Vicarage gardens.  Wasn't expecting anything in particular there but found Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella and Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana. Also my first Speckled Wood of the year among the butterflies.  The caddisfly Limnephilus auricula was resting on my car as we returned to the car park.

Green Longhorn Adela reaumurella, East Ruston Old Vicarage gardens, 12th May

Speckled Wood, East Ruston Old Vicarage gardens, 12th May

The moth catch at home that night included 3 new for the year: Garden Carpet, Oak-tree Pug and Marbled Brown.

Garden Carpet, North Elmham, 12th May

Oak-tree Pug, North Elmham, 12th May

Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 12th May

Also Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Streamers, Common Pug, 4 Muslin Moths, Least Black Arches, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Powdered Quaker and 4 Hebrew Characters.  Caddisflies consisted of Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus auricula.

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 12th May

Next day was poor for moths, though Brimstone Moth was new for the year.  Just Shuttle-shaped Dart and 4 Hebrew Characters.

Brimstone Moth, North Elmham, 13th May

Saturday was no better: Muslin Moth, 2 Hebrew Characters and the caddisfly Limnephilus auricula.

On Sunday I took advantage of some bright weather to pop to the local patch where the birding was poor, the mothing was non-existant but I fared much better with other insects along one small stretch of hedgerow.  First up were a couple of Common Carder Bees, one of them in particular almost glowing orange on its thorax.

Common Carder Bee, Bittering, 15th May

Next up was a hoverfly that looked distinctly similar to the Carder Bees (a mimic, so no coincidence).  A large and distinctive hoverfly with bright orange hairs on the thorax, I was pretty sure it was a species I hadn't identified before.  So it proved, it was Criorhina berberina.

Criorhina berberina, Bittering, 15th May

Sat on the same leaf was a pale lacewing, the first of at least half a dozen in the area.  I retained two slightly different-looking examples for checking and both turned out to be Hemerobius lutescens, a new species for me.

Brown Lacewings Hemerobius lutescens, Bittering, 15th May

One more hoverfly proved to be one I had seen before: Helophilus pendulus.

Helophilus pendulus, Bittering, 15th May

Best of the moths that night was a Small Phoenix, my first here.

Small Phoenix, North Elmham, 15th May

Other moths were Garden Carpet, Streamer, Brimstone Moth, Chocolate-tip, 3 Cinnabars, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Powdered Quaker and Hebrew Character.  Limnephilus auricula was the only caddisfly.

I thought this small beetle was a weevil at first but it turns out to be a non-weevil Salpingus ruficollis, the first one I've identified.

Salpingus ruficollis, North Elmham, 15th May