Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 3: Copper Underwings, Sprawler, Marbled Beauty and their allies

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE) (continued)


Copper Underwing Amphipyra pyramidea - Totals of 11 trapped in the garden between 1st August and 22nd September 2019 and 16 between 26th July and 19th September 2020.  I average about 10 a year here and 16 equalled my best total.  Elsewhere 4 at the meadows, 3 at Whitwell Street and 3 in Cornwall.

Copper Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

male Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

male Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 8th August 2020

Svensson's Copper Underwing Amphipyra berbera - One in the garden on 25th July 2019 and 4 between  15th August and 7th September 2020.  I'd only caught 6 here previously and never more than 3 in a year.  Also one next door on 7th August 2019.

Svensson's Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

male Svensson's Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 15th August 2020

male Svensson's Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 23rd August 2020

male Svensson's Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 7th September 2020

Mouse Moth Amphipyra tragopoginis - Totals of 7 caught here between 24th July and 10th September 2019 and 5 between 14th August and 16th September 2020.  This species is remarkably consistent here, with between 5 and 7 every year since 2014.  Elsewhere one at the meadows and one at Bintree Wood.

Mouse Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx - Totals of 30 trapped in the garden between 20th October and 20th November 2019 and 34 between 16th October and 23rd November 2020, slightly below the average of 36.

Sprawler, North Elmham, 20th October 2019

Sprawler, North Elmham, 6th November 2020

Green-brindled Crescent Allophyes oxyacanthae - Totals of 17 caught in the garden between 24th September and 2nd November 2019 and 38 between 10th and 30th October 2020.  I avereage 43 a year - 2019 was my worst year so far.

Green-brindled Crescent, North Elmham, 1st October 2019

Green-brindled Crescents, North Elmham, 10th October 2020

Green-brindled Crescent, North Elmham, 20th October 2020

Early Grey Xylocampa areola - Totals of 9 caught in the garden between 15th March and 9th May and 16 between 13th March and 26th April 2020.  I've averaged 27 a year here and 2019's total was my worst yet.

Early Grey, North Elmham, 15th March 2019

Early Grey, North Elmham, 13th March 2020

Bordered Sallow Pyrrhia umbra - None.  I'm still waiting for my first example of this species.  Although most records are from the coast and it hasn't been recorded in this 10km square yet I think I've got a realistic chance of catching one someday as there have been a few records elsewhere in mid Norfolk.


Marbled Clover Heliothis viriplaca - None.  Although a red data book species this is widespread in Norfolk and has been recorded just down the road at Worthing, including one in 2020.  I await my first but feel like I missed a good chance in 2020 when there were much larger numbers than usual recorded around the county.


Bordered Straw Heliothis peltigera - None.  Most years this migrant species is very hard to come by but in good years there's a chance I might catch one locally, though I didn't manage in the last good year, 2015.  Indeed I've never found this species in the UK.


Scarce Bordered Straw Heliothis peltigera - None.  Despite the name this species is considerably less scarce than the previous species in Norfolk.  I've recorded it once in my garden, during the 2017 influx.


Tree-lichen Beauty Crypgia algae - This new colonist has only recently colonised Norfolk and records have sky-rocketed in 2018 and 2019.  I caught my first at the meadows on 4th August 2019 followed by another in next door's garden on 8th August, but despite coming so close, I had to wait another year before catching one in my own garden - one on 15th August, the only one I caught in 2020.

Tree-lichen Beauty, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Tree-lichen Beauty, North Elmham, 8th August 2019

Tree-lichen Beauty, North Elmham, 15th August 2020

Marbled Beauty Crypgia algae - 3 in the garden trap between 20th and 29th July 2019 and 4 between 23rd July and 8th August 2020 - 3 a year is average here.  I only ever saw 2 of these when I lived in Bawdeswell but prior to that when I lived in Norwich I recorded up to 10 in a night - and that was before I was really into moths and had no special equipment: I just tried to identify what came in to my bedroom through the open window when the light was on.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 26th July 2019, which is the first I've ever caught away from somewhere I live.

Marbled Beauty, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

Marbled Green Nyctobrya muralis - None.  I've never caught this species but there have been a few recent records at widespread localities and though none have been particularly close to here they don't seem to be specific to any special habitat, so must be a fair chance of getting one here.


Next page: more Noctuidae

Record count of 331 straminella (and a few more interesting bits and pieces)

Compared to the excellent night of 23rd July there were more moths on 24th (645 vs. 594) but fewer species (120 vs. 127) and rather less quality.  The numbers were swelled by a record count of 331 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella.

Perhaps the best moth was a White-border Neb Isophrictis striatella, my second here and third anywhere.

White-border Neb Isophrictis striatella, North Elmham, 24th July

Other new moths for the year were Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, Bordered Beauty, 2 Black Arches, Copper Underwing and Twin-spotted Wainscot.

Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella, North Elmham, 24th July

Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July

Bordered Beauty, North Elmham, 24th July

Black Arches, North Elmham, 24th July

Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 24th July

Twin-spotted Wainscot, North Elmham, 24th July

Other moths were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Maple Slender Caloptilia semifascia, Pointed Slender Parornix finitimella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, 3 Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, 6 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Grey Ermine Yponomeuta sedella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 3 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 4 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Dull Red Neb Bryotropha senectella, 3 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, House Neb Bryotropha domestica, Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 6 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 5 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 10 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 7 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 12 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 5 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 4 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Buff Arches, Least Carpet, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 9 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 12 Riband Waves, 2 Flame Carpets, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 7 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, 4 Common Carpets, July Highflyer, Small Rivulet, Lime-speck Pug, Wormwood Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, Scorched Carpet, Brimstone Moth, 4 Early Thorns, 3 Scalloped Oaks, 2 Willow Beauties, Poplar Hawk-moth, Coxcomb Prominent, Pale Prominent, Yellow-tail, 18 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 4 Common Footmen, 3 Ruby Tigers, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 7 Flame Shoulders, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, Antler Moth, 4 Clays, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Mouse Moth, 7 Dun-bars, 2 Dark Arches, Double Lobed, 2 Cloaked Minors, Common Rustic, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, 2 Dusky Sallows, 2 Ear Moths, Fen Wainscot, 14 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, 4 Nut-tree Tussocks, Straw Dot and Snout.

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 24th July

Double Lobed, North Elmham, 24th July

I often have problems with Blackbirds feeding on my discarded moths but this year a new problem cropped up from time to time - wasps attacking moths that I'd released from the trap.  This Poplar Hawk-moth seemed unable or unwilling to fly away from the attentions of the wasp (Common Wasp I think but I didn't check its face markings).  It was difficult to see what was going on exactly but I didn't see the wasp sting the moth and it seemed to be focusing on the wings, which it was possibly eating (cerrtainly damaging at any rate).

Poplar Hawk-moth attended by wasp, North Elmham, 24th July

Mayflies were 2 Pale Evening Duns Procloeon bifidum and 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. Among the lacewings Dichochrysa ventralis was new for the year and there was 3 Cunctochrysa albolineata and 2 Micromus variegatus.

Dichochrysa ventralis, North Elmham, 24th July - showing its characteristic black-marked ventral surface

Caddisflies included Polycentropus irroratus and Tinodes waeneri, both new for the year, and Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus rhombicus.

Polycentropus irroratus (female), North Elmham, 24th July

Tinodes waeeri (male), North Elmham, 24th July

New bugs for the year were 2 Birch Shieldbugs, Phytocoris varipes and Psallus haematodes.  Other bugs were Forest Bug, Lygus pratensis, Megalocoleus molliculus and Trigonotylus caelestialium.

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 24th July

Psallus haematodes, North Elmham, 24th July

Megalocoleus molliculus, North Elmham, 24th July

There were 2 Ectopsocus barklice, one of which I checked and confirmed was my first Ectopsocus briggsi of the year.

Ectopsocus briggsi (male), North Elmham, 24th July

The click beetle Melanotus villosus was new for the year; other beetles were 2 Amara apricaria and Lagria hirta.

Melanotus villosus, North Elmham, 24th July

Field Grasshopper, new for the moth trap

The night of Friday 21st July was another good one with 109 species recorded at home.  These included another New Poplar Pigmy Ectoedemia hannoverella, my third this summer - surprising for a species that has never been recorded further north than this in Norfolk at all, not even by its leaf-mines which are usually the easiest way to record Ectoedemia species.  This one was much more worn so I wouldn't have been confident about the ID without recognising the genitalia (though there were enough scales left on it for me to suspect the correct ID).

* Edit 2018: OK, a bit too surprising.  I got a bit more suspicious after having another in 2018 - all these records seem a lot for a Poplar-feeding species given the distance from here to the nearest Poplars.  Having looked into it a bit more it now seems possible - indeed likely - that they are not hannoverella but Spotted Black Pigmies Ectoedemia subbimaculella.  I cannot rule out hannoverella, nor the Holm-Oak species heringella as both the external appearance and the genitalia are very similar between all 3 species, but as there is an Oak tree close by (subbimaculella feeds on Oak) and no Poplar or Holm-Oak very close I think subbimaculella is most likely.  Not entirely sure why I overlooked this as a possibility - probably because most of the photos online show much better patterned individuals than any of mine.

Five new species for the year were also small micros - Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella and Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella.

Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

A count of 14 Horse Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella was twice my previous best for my garden trap - I'm sure I wouldn't have to go far to find its foodplant but there's none in the immediate vicinity so far as I know.

The other micros were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 24 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 4 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 6 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 5 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 6 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 4 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 3 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana, Large Beech Piercer Cydia fagiglandana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 9 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 26 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 7 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 2 Dusky Pearls Udea prunalis, 17 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 6 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 8 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Large Beech Piercer Cydia fagiglandana, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Among the macros Copper Underwing and 2 Fen Wainscots were new for the year.

Copper Underwing (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Fen Wainscot, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

The other macros were 4 Chinese Characters, Buff Arches, 3 Blood-veins, Least Carpet, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 8 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Large Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, Lime-speck Pug, Wormwood Pug, 2 Currant Pugs, 3 Double-striped Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Magpie Moth, 2 Clouded Borders, Scorched Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Swallow Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 3 Rosy Footmen, 14 Dingy Footmen, 3 Scarce Footmen, 2 Buff Footmen, 7 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, 5 Nutmegs, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Dun-bar, 4 Dark Arches, Cloaked Minor, Common Rustic, Lesser Common Rustic (plus 2 Common Rustic aggs. that escaped), 3 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Cream-bordered Green Pea, 4 Nut-tree Tussocks, 2 Straw Dots and 3 Snouts.

A Field Grasshopper in the trap was, perhaps surprisingly, a species I'd not recorded in the garden before.

Field Grasshopper, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

There were 3 species of mayfly: 2 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum, Lake Olive Cloeon simile and Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita. Having the recent experience of catching relatively large numbers of Cloeon dipterum and seeing both sexes moulting from sub-imago to imago increaesd my confidence in identifying mayflies but with no subsequent records of Cloeon simile until now I'd started to wonder about some of my older records of that species.  At some point I'll check my photos but at least I now know that this species definitely does occur here sometimes.

Lake Olive Cloeon simile, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

A good number of green lacewings too, if not a huge variety: 5 Cunctochrysa albolineata, 16 Dichochrysa flavifrons and Dichochrysa prasina. Caddisflies consisted of 3 Hydropsyche siltalai, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa, Limnephilus flavicornis, 2 Athripsodes aterrimus and Ceraclea dissimilis.

Limnephilus flavicornis (male), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

I had to dissect it to figure out what it was but eventually identified this leafhopper as Alebra albostriella, a new species for me.

Alebra albostriella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Other bugs were the mirid bugs Lygus pratensis (new for the year) and Pinalitus cervinus and the leafhoppers Iassus lanio and Lamprotettix nitidulus.

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Two beetles were new for the house (not that I would have identified them prior to this year): the water beetle Ilybius ater and the click beetle Stenagostus rhombeus.  Other beetles were the Sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator, 3 Aphodius rufipes and a Harlequin Ladybird.

 Ilybius ater, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Stenagostus rhombeus, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Last year when the next door neighbour's grandson was staying I loaned them my spare trap and went round in the mornings to go through it with them.  He evidently enjoyed it and popped round to see if I would do it again this year, which of course I was delighted to do.

A good variety of macro moths kept him entertained inlcuding Pebble Hook-tip, Large Emerald, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, Single-dotted Waves, Riband Waves, 3 Magpie Moths, 2 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 2 Willow Beauties, Rosy Footman, Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Clay, Dun-bar, Dusky Sallow, Uncertains, Rustics, Nut-tree Tussocks and Straw Dot.

I didn't attempt to keep a complete count or list of every species but the micros I noted were Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, Cnephasia sp., Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella and Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis.