Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Grass moths (Crambidae) - Part 4: Grass-veneers I (Chilo to Agriphila)

GRASS MOTHS (CRAMBIDAE) (continued)


Reed Veneer Chilo phragmitella - None in 2019; one at the meadows on 18th June 2020 and one at Bintree Wood on 24th July 2020.  I've only caught this species at home once, in 2016.

Reed Veneer Chilo phragmitella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th June 2020

Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella - Totals of 6 at home between 21st July and 25th August 2019 and 7 between 24th July and 15th August 2020, which are more than I'd ever recorded here before (2 in 2016 and 3 in 2018, none 2015 or 2017).  Singles also at the meadows on 3 dates in 2019.

Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella - Trapped in the garden from 7th June 2019.  By 24th July I'd recorded over 1000.  I continued to trap the species nightly until 10th August but stopped counting them so don't have an overall total.  Even without full counts this was easily my best year here with 685 my previous best total for the year (in 2015).  Another good year in 2020 with 919 between 26th May and 20th August.  Elsewhere counts of up to 60 recorded at the meadows, and found next door, at Bintree Wood, Foxley Wood, Hindolveston, Hellesdon, Brancaster and Weybourne.  A couple of weakly-marked individuals shown here:

Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, North Elmham, 1st July 2019

Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, North Elmham, 5th August 2020

Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella - At least 73 caught at home on 30 nights between 18th June and 26th July 2019 (not counted on last 2 nights).  This was above average but 2020 was by far my best year so far with 136 between 15th June and 12th August.  Elsewhere only a couple at the meadows, one at Weybourne, half a dozen at Hellesdon and one at Brancaster.

Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th July 2020

Marsh Grass-veneer Crambus uliginosellus - None.  I've not yet recorded this species locally - there are records from the Dereham area so it wouldn't surprise me greatly to find it round here but it favours boggier sites than the ones I cover usually.


Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus - 37 recorded at home between 25th May and 5th July 2019 and 37 again between 17th May and 29th June 2020.  These was below the yearly average of 42.  There were good numbers at the meadows though , especially in 2019 when there were 60 on 6th June.  A few also found at Bintree Wood, Hills and Holes and Frost's Common.

Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th July 2020

Dark Grass-veneer Crambus hamella - None.  I've not yet recorded this species any closer than Marsham Heath and indeed there aren't any records much closer than that to here.  Presumably it's quite loyal to heathland habitat so maybe only a relatively small chance of catching one locally?


Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella - At least 14 caught here between 19th June and 25th July 2019 (not counted on the last date) and 12 between 22nd June and 5th August 2020.  That's well short of the 25 in 2018 but about average overall.  Elsewhere 1-3 recorded on 9 dates at the meadows, 6 at Weybourne, one at Brancaster and singles at 3 sites on Mull.

Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella - Recorded at home on 53 nights between 29th June and 9th September 2019.  The highest recorded count was 39 on 21st August but I didn't count them at all in late July/early August which was during their peak flight period.  As such it's difficult to compare numbers with previous years but it had been averaging at 674 per year form 2015-2018 and was probably in at least this ballpark if not more.  Indeed it was recorded on significantly more nights that 2020 when I recorded my highest numbers ever, 1,185 over 43 nights between 9th July and 31st August (peaking at 118 on 15th August).  Elsewhere recorded next door, at the meadows (max. 35), Foxley Wood and Swanton Great Wood.

Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, North Elmham, 9th August 2020

Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, North Elmham, 12th August 2020

Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, North Elmham, 16th August 2020

I'm not quite sure about the identity of this caterpillar found on (but not clearly eating) Greater Mullein at the meadows, but it compares well with images of this species.  If anyone can firm up the identification of this then please do get in touch with me.

possible Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th September 2020

Barred Grass-veneer Agriphila inquinatella - An unprecedented couple of years for this species at home where previously I had recorded one in 2015, 2 in 2018 and none at all in the intervening years.  At least 12 between 26th June and 4th August 2019 and then 52 (!) between 16th July and 25th August 2020.  Also one at the meadows on 26th July 2019 and 2 there on 7th August 2020.

Barred Grass-veneer Agriphila inquinatella, North Elmham, 16th July 2020

Barred Grass-veneer Agriphila inquinatella, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Barred Grass-veneer Agriphila inquinatella, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

White-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila latistria - One at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019; none in 2020.  In Norfolk this species occurs mainly close to the coast but there were lots of inland records in 2016 including the only example I've ever caught here.


Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella - Singles recorded at home on 5 nights between 10th July and 2nd August 2019, a fairly typical year - in the previous 4 years I'd always caught between 4 and 8.  2020 was exceptional with 25 between 25th July and 15th August including 4 on 9th August.  Elsewhere one at Foxley Wood on 17th August 2019 and one at the meadows on 7th August 2020.

Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, North Elmham, 2nd August 2019

Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella - Recorded at home on 40 nights between 4th July and 21st August 2019.  After 67 on 24th July I stopped counting them until numbers had tailed off again so no way of telling how this year compared to previous years (but I should think probably closer to the 2015-2017 average of about 600 a year than the 3,300 or so recorded here in 2018).  2020 was fairly good with 791 between 14th July and 3rd September.  Elsewhere recorded next door, at the meadows, Bintree Wood, Whitwell Street, Swanton Novers and Hellesdon.


Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea - Totals of 176 recorded here between 9th August and 10th September 2019 and 167 between 12th August and 16th September 2020.  I've averaged 120 here since 2014 - 2019 was my best year so far.  Elsewhere recorded next door and at Row Heath (West Runton).  Perhaps surprising in a couple of good years that I didn't get any at the meadows.


Next page: more Crambidae

dark barred but not Dark-barred

Thursday night was a good night with 10 new moths for the year: Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Common Swift, Small Rivulet, Pale Oak Beauty, Common White Wave, Bright-line Brown-eye and Silver Y.

Common Marble Celypha lacunana, North Elmham, 24th May

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, North Elmham, 24th May

Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, North Elmham, 24th May

Small Magpie Anania hortulata, North Elmham, 24th May

Common Swift, North Elmham, 24th May

Small Rivulet, North Elmham, 24th May

Pale Oak Beauty, North Elmham, 24th May

Common White Wave, North Elmham, 24th May

Bright-line Brown-eye, North Elmham, 24th May

Silver Y, North Elmham, 24th May

Also recorded were Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Chinese Character, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, 5 Mottled Pugs, Brimstone Moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Pale Prominents, 3 White Ermines, Least Black Arches, Flame Shoulder, 2 Common Wainscots, 6 Treble Lines and Spectacle. Non-moths included the springtail Orchesella cincta, the soldier beetle Cantharis cryptica and the caddisfly Grammotaulius nigropunctatus.

This Red Twin-spot Carpet is one of the darkest-barred examples I've seen, though still recognisable as Red (but I did gen det it just to make sure).  There are a few red scales in a wedge towards the outer half of the dark bar, and a very few on the inner part too, but at a glance it just looks black.  However there are other give-aways that it's Red, such as the lack of indents in this bar (not that that's an entirely reliable feature on its own).

Red Twin-spot Carpet (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th May

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th May

Orchesella cincta, North Elmham, 24th May

With some excellent help from Keith Kerr I (well, he) managed to identify another spider from the meadows - Anelosimus vittatus.  Thanks Keith!

Anelosimus vittatus, North Elmham, 19th May

Silo pallipes - a new caddisfly

The highlight on the night of 25th May was a Small Clouded Brindle.  I could have sworn I'd seen these here before but it turns out I hadn't - indeed I'd only seen one before anywhere.

Small Clouded Brindle, North Elmham, 25th May

Four other species were new for the year: 7 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, and Pale Oak Beauty.

Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 25th May

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 25th May

Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, North Elmham, 25th May

Pale Oak Beauty, North Elmham, 25th May

Other moths that night were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 4 Common Swifts, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, 3 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, White-pinion Spotted, Light Emerald, Eyed Hawk-moth, 2 White Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 9 Treble Lines and Spectacle. Also Common Earwig and Cockchafer.

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (female, gen det), North Elmham, 25th May

Next day there were Azure, Common Blue and Large Red Damseflies at Ryburgh where moths included Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and Green Carpet.

Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, Ryburgh, 26th May

Common Blue Damselfly, Ryburgh, 26th May

Following on from the 7 on 25th I trapped 13 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella on 26th - easily a record count, though that would be beaten a couple of nights later.

New species for the year were Bird's-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 3 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Blood-vein, May Highflyer, Brown Silver-line, Buff-tip, Rustic Shoulder-knot and 2 Straw Dots.

Bird's-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, North Elmham, 26th May

Hook-streaked Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, North Elmham, 26th May

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 26th May

Blood-vein, North Elmham, 26th May

May Highflyer, North Elmham, 26th May

Brown Silver-line, North Elmham, 26th May

Buff-tip, North Elmham, 26th May

Rustic Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 26th May

Other moths that night were Yellow-triangle Slender Caloptilia alchimiella, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Common Swift, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Green Carpets, Sandy Carpet, Mottled Pug, 14 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, 2 Waved Umbers, Pale Oak Beauty, White-pinion Spotted, 2 Light Emeralds, Pale Tussock, 2 Orange Footmen, 4 White Ermines, Buff Ermine, 5 Cinnabars, Least Black Arches, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, 13 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Least Black Arches, North Elmham, 26th May

The only beetle was a Cockchafer but two caddisflies included a new one for me, Silo pallipes (also Glyphotaelius pellucidus).

Silo pallipes (male), North Elmham, 26th May