First new beetle of 2017 - Cercyon unipunctatus

Thursday night was disappointing with just Early Moth and Pale Brindled Beauty, though this Ophion obscuratus was my first inchneumonid wasp of the year.

Ophion obscuratus, North Elmham, 16th February

On Friday I spent the day in the Brecks where a number of insects were evident.  Most were unidentified flies and I was a little surprised not to see my first butterfly of the spring given the warmth and frequent sunny spells.  I saw a bee briefly but didn't manage to catch it or see it at rest.  I did manage to catch one of several small beetles flying around a copse, and eventually identified it as a new speices for me, Cercyon unipunctatus.  I haven't managed to identify the ticks it was carrying though...

Cercyon unipunctatus, Brecks, 17th February

Satirday night produced my first Tufted Button Acleris cristana for the year along with 3 Pale Brindled Beauties and a Chestnut.

Tufted Button Acleris cristana, North Elmham, 17th February

Last night there were 3 Pale Brindled Beauties and my first Dark Chestnut of the year.  The latter species flies in autumn through to late winter/early spring and I usually see quite a few - for example 6 at home in 2014/15 and 17 at home in 2015/16.  However this season I hadn't seen any and as it's already past the latest winter date I recorded them in 2015 or 2016 I thought I'd missed it for this season.

Dark Chestnut, North Elmham, 18th February

Today I had a quick wander round Beetley Common where I actually managed to identify a fungus for a change - Birch Polypore.  There were some more tiny bracket (?) fungi on a fallen branch very much like the ones I saw at Felbrigg during the week and which I still haven't managed to identify.  Also I noticed a lot of silver birches with what looked like orange rust on one side.  I'm not quite certain but I think it's something called Trentepohlia (the genus - there are several similar species) which, despite its very orange colour, are apparently types of green algae (Chlorophyta).

I also found a couple of woodlice beneath some bark.  I checked loads of woodlice using the FSC key last year and nearly all of them (in fact it might have been all of them) turned out to be Common Rough Woodlouse.  One of the two today was black and big and looked pretty much like many of the Common Rough Woodlouse I've seen before but the other was more colourful and much smaller.  I took it home to check, optimistic that it might be something new.  No, turned out to be a Common Rough Woodlouse too - presumably a young one?

Common Rough Woodlouse, Beetley Common, 19th February

Pine Carpets, Merv and a Large Ranunculus

Just 11 species of moth on 25th September was a fairly poor showing but they included 2 Pine Carpets, a new species for the garden.  The ohers were Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Light Emerald, 4 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 2 Black Rustics, 20 Lunar Underwings, Sallow and 2 Snouts.

Pine Carpets, North Elmham, 25th September

Just 10 species the next night: Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Mallow, Common Marbled Carpet, Large Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Black Rustics, 14 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow and Large Wainscot.

A couple of new moths for the year on 27th: Merveille du Jour and, coming all at once, 4 Barred Sallows.

Merveille du Jour, North Elmham, 27th September

Barred Sallow, North Elmham, 27th September

The others that night were 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 4 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, Brimstone Moth, Engrailed, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 3 Black Rustics, 5 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, Sallow, Rosy Rustic and 2 Snouts.

Also found when emptying the trap were the Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea and a small woodlouse that was paler than most of the ones I see in my garden.  Sadly it didn't turn out to be anything new - it was the same speceis as they nearly always are, Common Rough Woodlouse.

Common Rough Woodlouse, North Elmham, 27th September

Next night Maple Slender Caloptilia semifascia was new for the year.  Other moths were Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Blood-vein, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, Large Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Black Rustic, 3 Lunar Underwings, Barred Sallow, Sallow, Angle Shades, Burnished Brass and 5 Snouts.

Maple Slender Caloptilia semifascia, North Elmham, 28th September

Bugs included 2 Birch Shieldbugs and, new for the house, Lygus rugulipennis.

Lygus rugulipennis, North Elmham, 28th September

There were also 6 Harlequin Ladybirds.  I haven't been able to work out what sort of Aphid this is.  Please let me know if you know how to identify these.

unidentified Aphid, North Elmham, 28th September

A quarter of the moth species on 29th September were new for the year - Brindled Green, Beaded Chestnut and new for the house, Large Ranunculus.  Actually I think I may have overlooked one or two Beaded Chestnuts among the recent Lunar Underwings - I'd slightly misremembered one feature that separates those types that look broadly similar and didn't check the underwing.

Large Ranunculus, North Elmham, 29th September

Brindled Green, North Elmham, 29th September

Beaded Chestnut, North Elmham, 29th September

The others were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, 4 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Garden Carpet, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Black Rustics, 4 Lunar Underwings and Rosy Rustic.

Slim pickings on the last night of the month: Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Brown-spot Pinion, 3 Beaded Chestnuts and 6 Lunar Underwings.

Poor mothing but always something to look at

The last week hasn't been a good one for moths.  They don't like snow and Arctic conditions, apparently.

Last Friday night scraped the bottom of the barrel with Brindled Pug and Early Grey, but a smallish slug on the bottom of the moth trap aroused my curiosity.  Turns out it's a Netted Slug, but the biggest surprise is that this is supposed to be one of our commonest slugs yet it didn't look familiar to me at all.  The first time I've identified one anyway.

Netted Slug, North Elmham, 22nd April

On Saturday morning in the Brecks some early sunshine got me a nice Common Oak Purple Dyseriocrania subpurpurella.

Common Oak Purple Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Hockham Heath, 23rd April

I also caught this Brown Lacewing which provided me with my first opportunity to try out my newly-acquired key to Lacewings.  It was Hemerobius humulinus, the first time I've identified a Brown Lacewing to species level.

Brown Lacewing Hemerobius humulinus, Hockham Heath, 23rd April

The Snails key also got its first use, although it wasn't the first time I've identified Brown-lipped and White-lipped Snails.  Indeed in this case the key sent me in the wrong direction as the Brown-lipped Snail showed a substantial and completely unobscured umbilicus.  Bad snail.

Some fungi caused me problems, as always.  I think this one might be Birch Polypore...

Birch Polypore?, near Thompson Water, 23rd April

...but these white blobs on the side of a tree in a swamp made me wonder if there was a species related to King Alfreds Cakes, only white.  Well if there is I can't find it in my books, and King Alfred's Cakes aren't supposed to be white even when they're young, so I've no idea what they were.  Maybe they weren't even fungi?  Ah, as I type this I've had an idea... slime mould maybe.  Yes, that looks likely, perhaps Enteridium lycoperdon?

slime mould, perhaps Enteridium lycoperdon, Cranberry Rough, 23rd April

As a very novice botanist, Forget-me-nots are always a challenging group to identify.  Hopefully they get easier with experience but I still struggle.  I think these were Wood Forget-me-nots.

Wood Forget-me-not, Cranberry Rough, 23rd April

This Brown Hare tried to hide from me in the rain.

Brown Hare, Bodney, 23rd April

When I drew up beside it it soon changed its mind and ran away instead.

Brown Hare, Bodney, 23rd April

Another brief spell of sunshine in the garden after I got home produced what I assume was a Feathered Bright Incurvaria masculella in the Wysteria.  It didn't stop long enough for me to get a good enough look to be 100% sure, but it's by far the most likely moth that looks anything like that.  One insect that did pause long enough for a close examination was the hoverfly Eristalis arbustorum - the first time I've identified this common species.

Eristalis arbustorum, North Elmham, 23rd April

In the trap overnight there were just 2 Hebrew Characters but after Saturday the weather deteriorated even more and it felt more like January than late April.  The moth catches shifted from being dreadful to non-existent.  Three nights in a row without a single moth and for at least two of those not a single insect - not even a fly!  Hate to think what effect this is having on insectivorous birds, especially resident ones that have already started breeding.

One moth (and one fly) in the trap on Wednesday night - a new one for the year too, Muslin Moth.

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 27th April

Also on Wednesday I had my first opportunity to use another new key, the one on Woodlice - this is a Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber.

Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber, North Elmham, 27th April

Thursday night saw another (or perhaps the same) Muslin Moth and a Hebrew Character.

Wood Mouse and Woodlouse (and a nice beetle and some moths)

The Wood Mouse was running in and out of the shed for ages on Saturday again, in the rain.  Seems to like the rain.

Wood Mouse, North Elmham, 9th April

Not much on Saturday night (3 March Moths, 2 Small Quakers, Common Quaker, Clouded Drab and 2 Hebrew Characters) but Sunday night was better with Red Chestnut new for the year.

Red Chestnut, North Elmham, 10th April

Some better totals of a couple of the commoner species too: March Moth, Shoulder Stripe, 8 Small Quakers, 5 Common Quakers, Clouded Drab, 14 Hebrew Characters, 3 Early Greys and Chestnut.

Early Thorn was new for the year at home on Monday night.  Also 3 March Moths, Shoulder Stripe, Double-striped Pug, Oak Beauty, Red Chestnut, 5 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 9 Hebrew Characters, 2 Early Greys and Chestnut.

Early Thorn, North Elmham, 11th April

Fewer moths on Tuesday night, though another common moth new for the year at home: Engrailed.  Also March Moth, Red Chestnut, 5 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.  I think the Red Chestnut was the same individual as I trapped on Monday night as it was distinctively worn, but Sunday's looked different.

Engrailed, North Elmham, 12th April

On Wednesday a Cereal Leaf Beetle Oulema melanopus/rufocyanea agg. appeared on my study windowsill.  Lovely beetle!

Cereal Leaf Beetle Oulema melanopus or Oulema rufocyanea, North Elmham, 13th April

Not much in the moth trap last nigtht: Early Thorn, 2 Small Quakers, Twin-spotted Quaker, 5 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.

Twin-spotted Quaker, North Elmham, 13th April

I had a look round the local patch before work this morning and found 2 Common Oak Purples Dyseriocrania subpurpurella there.  Also this unidentified small larva (sawfly sp.?).

unidentified larva, near Bittering, 14th April

Other things crawling down tree trunks included this Tree Slug.

Tree Slug, near Bittering, 14th April

I'd thought the following Woodlouse might be interesting.  Not when photographing it, but looking it up when I got home.  The information I found on the net suggested that I could rule out the common Porcellio scaber leading me to speculate that it might be either Porcellio spinicornis or Trachelipus rathkei, although neither seemed particularly likely.  Well James has had a look and he advises me that it is in fact Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber after all.  Ah well, I shall have to look a bit harder to find one of the scarcer ones, and buy myself a decent key.

Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber, near Bittering, 14th April