Review of 2019 and 2020 - Waxflies (Coniopterygidae)

WAXFLIES (CONIOPTERYGIDAE)

The reluctance of some recorders to go to the effort of identifying this family means that there are plenty of possibilities for finding significant records, as exemplified by the fact that 3 of the 5 species I have identified in the last few years have been firsts for Norfolk (and one of the other 2 was only the second for Norfolk).  For most genera of waxflies identification to species level requires examination of the male's genitalia, but they seem to be relatively straightforward provided you don't mind going to those lengths.


Coniopteryx borealis - None.  I've never found this species but although there were only 2 county records by 2016 it was described as "probably common".  Indeed the key to these describes it as, "Widespread and very common throughout England, Wales and Scotland; perhaps our commonest species."  Perhaps, but either it isn't round here or it has more elusive habits than the other species.


Coniopteryx esbenpeterseni - A male netted at the meadows on 29th May 2019, a male hand-caught at dawn in my garden on 23rd June 2019 and a male caught in my garden moth trap on 24th August 2020.  I'm not aware of any other Norfolk records apart from the first which I found in my garden in June 2017.

male Coniopteryx esbenpeterseni, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th May 2019

male Coniopteryx esbenpeterseni, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

male Coniopteryx esbenpeterseni, North Elmham, 24th August 2020 (showing the internal genital structures)

Coniopteryx lentiae - A male caught in my garden moth trap on 26th June 2019 was the first record for Norfolk.  I caught 4 more in 2020, 2 in my garden (one netted at dawn on 23rd June and one to the moth trap on 13th August) and 2 at the meadows (on 8th June and 6th July, both netted).  Although waxflies are very under-recorded I imagine this represents a recent colonisation of the county rather than that they've simply been overlooked up until now.

male Coniopteryx lentiae, North Elmham, 26th June 2019

comparison of male genitalia of Coniopteryx esbenpeterseni (left) and Coniopteryx lentiae (right), caught North Elmham, 23rd and 26th June 2019

male Coniopteryx lentiae, North Elmham, 22nd June 2020 (showing poorly-cleaned genital structure)

male Coniopteryx lentiae, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th July 2020

Coniopteryx tineiformis - One netted in my garden on 25th May 2020, my third here (the first in 2016 was the second record for Norfolk).  I suspect this species is more reluctant to come to light and perhaps even less nocturnal than some of the other waxflies as I've now caught lots at the meadows, most or all of which have been flying alongisde hedgerows in daylight (mostly early morning).  Single males caught at the Cathedral Meadows on 10th, 22nd and 25th May 2019 and 6 netted there on 5 dates between 27th April and 9th May 2020.  I also hand-caught one on Mull, at Carsaig on 10th June 2019.

male Coniopteryx tineiformis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th May 2019

male Coniopteryx tineiformis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th April 2020

male Coniopteryx tineiformis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd May 2020

In addition 3 female Coniopteryx sp. were found, 2 at the meadows and one in my garden.



Conwentzia psociformis - This is the best-recorded species of waxfly in Norfolk.  The 2019 waxfly year started off with 2 males of this species hand-caught in front and back gardens fairly early in the morning of 21st April, and 2 more netted at the Cathedral Meadows the same morning.  Thereaftter 9 males caught in my garden (all in my moth trap), the last being on 10th August.  This compares with 6 males at home in 2018.  In addition I trapped 4 female Conwentzia sp. (I counted the antennal segments on 2 of these and if the proposed differences prove to be reliable then these will also be recordable as female psociformis).  In 2020 I recorded a total of 15 males at home between 27th April and 12th September (all in the moth trap) plus 2 at the meadows (not to light).  Also 6 female Conwentzia sp. found here during that time and one at the meadows, the latter being potted from Ash (making it a very unlikely candidate for the pine-feeding Conwentzia pineticola which I've never found).

male Conwentzia psociformis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st April 2019

male Conwentzia psociformis, North Elmham, 27th April 2020

male Conwentzia psociformis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th June 2020

male Conwentzia psociformis, North Elmham, 4th September 2020 - I find the parameres sometimes diverge more than this which can prompt confusion with Conwentzia pineticola, but the processes of the ectoprocts (not quite in focus here) are only slighly bifurcate and therefore readily distinguished from pineticola

Semidalis aleyrodiformis - None.  I've never found this species but there were 3 county records prior to 2013 and given the ordinary nature of the sites where it was found it was suggested that it is probably common in the county.


Semidalis pseudouncinata - A male caught in the garden moth trap on 15th August 2020, my first here since I found the first for Norfolk in 2017, and then 2 more males the following night.  I'm not aware of any other Norfolk records.

male Semidalis pseudouncinata, North Elmham, 15th August 2020 - showing wing venation and genital structure

male Semidalis pseudouncinata, North Elmham, 16th August 2020 - showing genital structure

second male Semidalis pseudouncinata, North Elmham, 16th August 2020 - showing genital structure

Next page: Brown Lacewings

Bugs and beetles outdoing the moths again

A visit to the Cathedral Meadows on 6th August produced two lifers in the space of a few seconds - in fact if I remember rightly they were both feeding on the same Hogweed: Adonis Ladybird and the sawfly Athalia liberta.

Adonis Ladybird, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th August

Athalia liberta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th August

The following moths were seen: 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 20 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella and Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis.  Other insects included Southern Hawker, Field Grasshopper and Early and Buff-tailed Bumblebees.

Southern Hawker, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th August

That night the garden moth trap produced the goods once again, but it wasn't moths taking the limelight.  There were a few interesting moths though including two new for the year: New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella and Dark Spectacle.

New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 6th August

Dark Spectacle, North Elmham, 6th August

The other moths were 2 Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, 3 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 3 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, 2 Dark Nebs Bryotropha affinis, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 28 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 45 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 7 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Maiden's Blushes, 4 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, 3 Flame Carpets, 4 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Common Carpets, 2 Maple Pugs, Wormwood Pug, 5 Currant Pugs, 3 Tawny Speckled Pugs, Double-striped Pug, Scorched Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, Willow Beauty, Poplar Hawk-moth, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, 2 Dingy Footmen, 5 Turnip Moths, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 4 Flame Shoulders, 11 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 5 Six-striped Rustics, Common Wainscot, Marbled Beauty, Copper Underwing, Straw Underwing, 3 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, 2 Vine's Rustics, Silver Y, Spectacle and 7 Straw Dots.

Tawny Speckled Pug, North Elmham, 6th August

The mayflies, lacewings and caddisflies didn't cause too much excitement: Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, Dichochrysa flavifrons, Conwentzia psociformis, Micromus variegatus, 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 8 Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus auricula.

Conwentzia psociformis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 6th August

The bugs were more interesting with 3 lifers.   Apart from 3 Birch Shieldbugs and 2 Forest Bugs there was only one heteropteran bug, but that was exquisite, easily identified and new for me: Malacocoris chlorizans.

Malacocoris chlorizans, North Elmham, 6th August

Out of 3 leafhoppers, one was the very common Empoasca vitis but the other two were both species I had not recorded before.  One was Grypotes puncticollis, a relatively nondescript species that I struggled at first to identify.

Grypotes puncticollis, North Elmham, 6th August

The other was either Kybos butleri or Kybos rufescens.  The thick dark line down the dorsum makes these two Kybos species very striking compared to the other Kybos species that I see more frequently, but you need a look at a male's genitalia to separate the two and this one was a female.  Neither species' foodplants (different species of willow) grow sufficiently close to the garden for this to be a significant clue.  I don't think proper competetive pan-listers would count it without a full species-level ID but a new species-pair is good enough for me until such time as I get a male of one or other species.

Kybos butleri or Kybos rufescens (female), North Elmham, 6th August

The water beetle Colymbetes fuscus is apparently very common but was a new species for me.  Other beetles included Amara apricaria, Bradycellus verbasci, Aphodius rufipes and two small black rove beetles which I was unable to identify.  There were also 2 Hornets.

Colymbetes fuscus, North Elmham, 6th August

Purple Hairstreaks

One of the highlights of a productive visit to the Cathedral Meadows on 2nd July was finding at least 30 Purple Hairstreak butterflies.  Judging from various reports on social media it seemed to be a good year for them so I'd been keeping an eye out for them.  After a couple of failed efforts I finally found them where I most expected them, in the oaks running along the  bottom of the meadows alongside the disused railway.  They were keeping high up so my photographic efforts leave something to be desired...

Purple Hairstreaks, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd July

Other butterflies included over 100 Ringlets and my first Gatekeeper of the year.  The former seem to be having a good year, although I don't have any previous years' data from this site to compare with, but I ended up seeing very few Gatekeepers indeed this year.

Moths included White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella, 6 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, 15 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 2 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 5 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Blood-veins, Small Fan-footed Wave and thousands of mines of Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella.

Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd July

Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd July - dark and pale forms

One of at least 3 waxflies was retained for checking and proved to be Conwentzia psociformis,a species I'd only identified once before.

Conwentzia psociformis (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd July

I only checked 3 of them but if all the soldier beetles were the same species there were at least 40 Rhagonycha fulva.  Other insects included 2 Emperor dragonflies, 8 Meadow Grasshoppers, the mirid bug Stenotus binotatus, a Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius and an Ichneumon wasp that I tried and failed to identify, but a member of the genus Tryphon apparently.

Rhagonycha fulva, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd July

Stenotus binotatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd July

Tryphon sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd July

That night new for the year (for the garden) were Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Drinker, July Highflyer and Buff Footman, but better than any of them was another Wood Carpet.

Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, North Elmham, 2nd July

Drinker, North Elmham, 2nd July

Buff Footman, North Elmham, 2nd July

Other moths were Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Tipped Oak Case-bearer Coleophora flavipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 5 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 9 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, 3 Buff Arches, 3 Small Emeralds, 4 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 8 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Riband Waves, 7 Barred Straws, 2 Sandy Carpets, Grey Pug, V-Pug, 2 Green Pugs, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Early Thorns, 2 Willow Beauties, 3 Mottled Beauties, 2 Engraileds, Privet Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 3 Rosy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 39 Common Footmen, 12 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Clubs, 2 Heart and Darts, Large Yellow Underwing, Double Square-spot, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 5 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Common Wainscots, 2 Brown Rustics, Dark Arches, Rufous Minor, Common Rustic (and 1 agg.), 13 Uncertains, Rustic, 5 Mottled Rustics, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot and Snout.

There was also a Common Earwing and Caddisflies included Medium Sedge Goera pilosa (new for the year) and Limnephilus lunatus.

Next day Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana and Mere Wainscot were new for the year.

Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd July

Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, North Elmham, 3rd July

Mere Wainscot, North Elmham, 3rd July

Other moths (there were only 33 species, a low number in July) were 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, 3 Barred Straws, Sandy Carpet, Clouded Border, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Coxcomb Prominent, 24 Common Footmen, 18 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, 3 Heart and Darts, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Smoky Wainscot, Common Rustic, 14 Uncertains, 3 Mottled Rustics, Burnished Brass and Snout.