Review of 2019 and 2020 - Bugs: Plant bugs - part 1: Dichyphini and Deraeocorini

PLANT BUGS (MIRIDAE)


Tribe DICYPHINI


Campyloneura virgula - I caught 5 of these tidy bugs in my garden moth trap in July 2019 - 3 on 23rd and 2 on 25th.  This was the third consecutive year I have trapped this species but sadly none in 2020.

Campyloneura virgula, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Dicyphus errans - A Dicyphus nymph swept from Common Hemp-nettle at the meadows on 30th August 2020 would probably have been left unidentified except that I swept an adult from the same plant on 11th September.  Even then I had some trouble with the identification, initially landing on epilobii.  At first I ruled out errans because this is supposed to have the first segment of the antenna black, or at least dusky in teneral examples, not red as in epilobii.  After ruling out errans I found it quite difficult to interpret the width of the callosities (it would key to constrictus if I took the callosities to be large) but figured that the dark spots at apex of corium and cuneus seems to support epilobii.  My hesitation with this ID was that British Bugs website says it should be on Great Willowherb (which does grow nearby but the presence of both nymph and adult on the same plant suggests that they hadn't merely wandered there from the willowherb 100 yards or so away).  The mystery developed when I caught another very similar-looking bug in my garden moth trap on 30th September - this one was a male so I was able to check its left clasper to make absolutely sure I was on the right track - and it appears that I wasn't!  The left claspers are only illustrated in the key not described, but on epilobii the crest on the distal half of the clasper looks like it should be longer and narrower, extending about half way along the top of the clasper, whereas in errans it is shorter and broader.  The whole distal section of the clasper is illstrated as being broader and straigher in errans and narrower and clearly curved in epilobii.  Both share a cluster of setae near the bend with some minor differences that are hard to call either way on my specimen but based on the shape of the distal section and the size and shape of its crest, I have to conclude that mine is errans.  So, what of the reddish first antennal segment?  Well, it does look a bit reddish on some photos on the interweb, so I think this must be ok.  And that being so, what of the ones at the meadows?  Surely these, being on Common Hemp-nettle which is a known foodplant for errans, must then be errans too?  At this point I discovered an additional ID feature that I had initially overlooked, the colour of the mesopleura.  On epilobii they are pale, on errans dark.  Thankfully I had one photo of the adult from the meadows that showed a dark mesopleuron, so yes, these were errans too.  Phew.  These were my first records of any Dicyphus species.

Dicyphus errans nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th August 2020

Dicyphus errans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th September 2020

Dicyphus errans, North Elmham, 30th September 2020 - showing left clasper

Macrolophus rubi - A new species for me in 2019 but clearly a common one.  I caught 3 in my garden moth trap in 2019, on 27th June, 21st August and 22nd August, and then 7 between 25th June and 15th August 2020.  Although I've been looking more carefully at bugs in the last couple of years than before, I was picking out thinigs as distinctive-looking as this during at least the previous couple of years so if they're normally this common I'm surprised I hadn't picked it out before.  Maybe these were good years - time will tell.  [Update May 2021: hmm, I now see there is a confusion species, Macrolophus pymaeus.  So far as the relative lengths of the antennal segments are concerned all mine that I photographed look good for rubi, and the obvious dark spot at the tip of the clavus does too, but the lack of a dark spot at the tip of the scutellum on any of my 10 concerns me...] [Further update May 2021: the jury is still out but it's looking like these may well be Macrolophus pygmaeus.]

Macrolophus sp., North Elmham, 21st August 2019

Macrolophus sp., North Elmham, 2nd August 2020

Tribe DERAEOCORINI


Deraeocoris flavilinea - One inside the house on 1st July 2019.  My wife had just returned from the allotments where in 2018 I found several (nymphs and adults) on a currant bush, so it's possible that this was its origin.  However in 2020 adults caught in the garden moth trap on 4th and 16th July so they're present round here too.  Also a nymph at the meadows on 1st June 2020.

Deraeocoris flavilinea, North Elmham, 1st July 2019

Deraeocoris flavilinea nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June 2020

Deraeocoris flavilinea, North Elmham, 4th July 2020

Deraeocoris flavilinea, North Elmham, 16th July 2020

Deraeocoris lutescens - Singles in the garden moth trap on 2nd June 2019 and 26th September 2020.  Several found at the meadows with singles on 3rd and 25th August 2019 and on 4 dates between 3rd August and 5th September 2020.

Deraeocoris lutescens, North Elmham, 2nd June 2019

Deraeocoris lutescens, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th August 2019

Deraeocoris lutescens, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th Juanuary 2020

Deraeocoris lutescens, North Elmham, 26th September 2020

Deraeocoris ruber - One found on Fleabane at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020 and then another found on Fleabane, this time at Whitwell Common, on 12th August.  When I potted the first one it seemed to have a damaged head but it wasn't until I got it home to identify that I realised the extent of this damage - there was a big hole at the front of its pronotum and its head was missing!  By the time I got round to looking at it 5 hours had passed since finding it in its damaged state and, bizarrely, it was still alive and active!  I'm yet to find this species here or at the meadows - not surprising if it favours Fleabane but according to British Bugs it occurs on a variety of plants especially nettles.

headless Deraeocoris ruber, Thompson Common, 7th August 2020

Deraeocoris ruber, Whitwell Common, 12th August 2020

Next page: more Miridae

Saltmarsh meets North Elmham, a scarce barkfly, a new bug and a new beetle

2018 seems to have been an exceptional year for saltmarsh species making their way inland.  I have already blogged about a surprise Silver-streaked Case-bearer Coleophora limoniella that turned up here on 23rd July, one of 3 inland records in July of a species that had never turned up inland in Norfolk before.  I've also already blogged about a Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii at Derby Fen in June, and very soon I'll be writing about another one at home - again in a year when other observers have also recorded unusual numbers of these inland.  Well there was one more saltmarsh surprise in my North Elmham trap on 3rd August - a Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella.  This is another very unexpected record - until this year the furthest inland records in Norfolk were at Catfield Fen in the Broads and at Dersingham.  There was another at Derby Fen on 8th August but this one is by far the furthest inland record there has been in Norfolk...

Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Small Waved Umber was only my second here, indeed only my third anywhere, and Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella was also only my second here.

Small Waved Umber, North Elmham, 3rd August

Other moths new for the year were Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana and 2 Tawny Speckled Pugs.

Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, North Elmham, 3rd August

Tawny Speckled Pug, North Elmham, 3rd August

Other micros were 3 Bordered Carls Coptotriche marginea, Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 2 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, 2 Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermine agg. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, 2 Wainscot Smudges Ypsolopha scabrella, 6 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, 4 House Nebs Bryotropha domestica, 7 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 45 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 48 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 8 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella, 2 Beautiful Plumes Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

The rest of the macros were 2 Orange Swifts, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Riband Waves, Flame Carpet, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, 5 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, 2 Maple Pugs, Lime-speck Pug, Bordered Beauty, Early Thorn, 2 Scalloped Oaks, 5 Willow Beauties, Poplar Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 4 Dingy Footmen, Ruby Tiger, 3 Turnip Moths, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 8 Flame Shoulders, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 8 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Six-striped Rustics, Cabbage Moth, Common Wainscot, Marbled Beauty, 4 Straw Underwings, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, Twin-spotted Wainscot, Fen Wainscot, Rustic and 22 Straw Dots.

Mayflies included what I think is a Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus, but although I identified this at the time and let it go I omitted to add it to my notes or caption the photo, so I'm now having to identify it again from the photos which I never like doing with mayflies.  Also 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita.

Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus, North Elmham, 3rd August

There was a good selection of green and brown lacewings: 2 Chrysoperla carnea, 2 Cunctochrysa albolineata, Dichochrysa flavifrons, Hemerobius lutescens and Micromus variegatus.

Among the caddisflies Athripsodes albifrons was new for the year; there were also 2 Ithytrichia lamellaris, 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 3 Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus auricula and 1-2 Athripsodes aterrimus.

Athripsodes albifrons, North Elmham, 3rd August

The best of the bugs was Atractotomus parvulus, a new species for me.

Atractotomus parvulus (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Deraeocoris lutescens was also new for the year, and other bugs were  Birch Shieldbug, Blepharidopterus angulatus and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis.

Deraeocoris lutescens, North Elmham, 3rd August

This barkfly was eventually identified as Valenzuela piceus, a scarce species according to the National Barkfly Recording Scheme.  There are only 9 records on NBN for the whole country, the nearest being in the Cambridge area, but that doesn't always mean a great deal as barkflies are one of the taxa that aren't well represented in NBN.

Valenzuela piceus, North Elmham, 3rd August

Among the beetles there were a dozen or so Bradycellus sp.  Usually these turn out to be Bradycellus verbasci and one of the two I retained did just so.  As soon as I looked at the other one under the microscope I had a feeling it was a different species and so it proved - my first Bradycellus harpalinus.  Other beetles included an Ophonus sp. that I couldn't quite resolve and another Aphodius rufipes.

Bradycellus harpalinus (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

A quick visit to the meadows produced Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla and a 7-spot Ladybird.

Cypress Pug and a good year for Elachista alpinella

Back at home (after Marsham Heath) on 1st September the trap produced a lifer in the shape of Marsh Dwarf Elachista alpinella.  It has evidently been a good year for this species as this was my first of 5 this autumn and others have been getting them too.  Prior to this year there were only 8 records in Norfolk - once mine are added we will have recorded more than that this year alone.

Marsh Dwarf Elachista alpinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st September

On the sheet round my trap I found a single wing belonging to a Pale Eggar.  Presumably it had been predated by a Bat during the night?   A White-shouldered Smudge Yposolopha parenthesella was next best but apart from that there wasn't a great deal else: Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 4 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Small Dusty Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Common Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, 5 Green Carpets, Currant Pug, Treble-bar, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 6 Dusky Thorns, 9 Light Emeralds, 4 Flame Shoulders, 22 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 3 Small Square-spots, 11 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 13 Square-spot Rustics, Bright-line Brown-eye, 6 Common Wainscots, Copper Underwing, 4 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, 2 Vine's Rustics, 4 Burnished Brasses, 8 Straw Dots and 8 Snouts.

Other insects noted included Forest Bug, the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus and 2 Common Wasps.

The next night the highlight was a Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, my first at this house and only my second or third anywhere.

Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd September

Other moths were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Common Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, 6 Green Carpets, 17 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 2 Dusky Thorns, 8 Light Emeralds, Dingy Footman, Flame Shoulder, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, 7 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 5 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Feathered Gothic, Centre-barred Sallow, Copper Underwing, Dark Arches, 3 Flounced Rustics, 2 Vine's Rustics, 2 Burnished Brasses, 12 Straw Dots and 2 Snouts.

Other insects included Oak Bush-cricket, Forest Bug and this Deraeocoris lutescens.

Deraeocoris lutescens, North Elmham, 2nd September

The following night we went out for dinner with friends at Rockland St Mary's.  They had some moths in the house which I took a look at - all 3 were Square-spot Rustics.  On the way home I took a diversion through some areas where I had seen badger before, as Vitty has never seen a live badger.  As we drove through Old Beetley we found a Badger in almost exactly the same spot as I'd seen one before.

Back at home the standout highlight from the night's trapping was a Cypress Pug.  This is a recent colonnist and is spreading northwards, first recorded in Norfolk in 1988 but not again until 2009.  Then this year there have been 4 more, including mine.

Cypress Pug, North Elmham, 3rd September

Not a particularly impressive catch apart from that - Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 3 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 4 Green Carpets, Clouded Border, 13 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, 6 Light Emeralds, 3 Flame Shoulders, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spot Rustic, 2 Common Wainscots, 2 Frosted Oranges, Burnished Brass, 4 Straw Dots and 10 Snouts.

Frosted Orange, North Elmham, 3rd September

Also 4 Forest Bugs and a male and female of the hoverfly Eupeodes corollae.

Eupeodes corollae, North Elmham, 3rd September

Nothing very remarkable among the moths on 4th September: Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, 5 Brimstone Moths, 4 Dusky Thorns, Willow Beauty, 8 Light Emeralds, 5 Flame Shoulders, 19 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Small Square-spot, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 5 Square-spot Rustics, Cabbage Moth, 2 Common Wainscots, 3 Centre-barred Sallows, Vine's Rustic, 2 Burnished Brasses, 2 Straw Dots, 12 Snouts and Pinion-streaked Snout.

On 5th I went to Burnham Overy where there was a good selection of butterflies: 15 Small Whites, 3 Small Coppers, 3 Brown Arguses, 3 Common Blues, Peacock, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, 2  Small Tortoiseshells, 3 Small Heaths, Speckled Wood and 2 Wall Browns.  Among the moths were two more examples of the then-still-mystery plume moths which I suspected were simply small examples of Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.  I retained one of them as by this time I hadn't yet checked the one I retained last time.  Like the last one this one turned out to be Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus.  Other moths were Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, 8 Carnation Tortrixes Cacoecimorpha pronubana, 8 Barred Grass-veneers Agriphila inquinatella and Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea.

Andy wasn't on hand to help with the spiders today but I did photograph a couple that I noticed.  One seems to be just a Garden Spider while the other appears to be one of the Tetragnatha sp.  Not sure which species though.

Tetragnatha sp., Burnham Overy, 5th September

This Stoat kept disappearing down rabbit holes only to pop up again in another one.

Stoat, Burnham Overy, 5th September

That night proved to be a good one for moths and other insects.  Highlights included another Marsh Dwarf Elachista alpinella and my second ever Thyme Marble Celypha cespitana.

Marsh Dwarf Elachista alpinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 5th September

Thyme Marble Celypha cespitana, North Elmham, 5th September

Over 200 moths in total was excellent for September, the rest being Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria, 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, presumed Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella (specimen lost so not checked), Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, 4 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Rusty-dot Pearls Udea ferrugalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, Flame Carpet, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, 5 Common Marbled Carpets, 13 Green Carpets, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 26 Brimstone Moths, 8 Dusky Thorns, 10 Light Emeralds, Ruby Tiger, 4 Flame Shoulders, 19 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 8 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 12 Square-spot Rustics, Cabbage Moth, Feathered Gothic, Common Wainscot, 3 Centre-barred Sallows, Mouse Moth, Flounced Rustic, 2 Burnished Brasses, 3 Straw Dots and 30 Snouts.

It wasn't just moths - the trap contained 4 different species of Lacewing: Green Lacewings Chrysoperla carnea agg. (presumably carnea but female pallida can't be eliminated, though unlikely), Cunctochrysa albolineata and Dichochrysa flavifrons and the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius lutescens.  There were 4 Birch Shieldbugs and 5 Forest Bugs (Red-legged Shieldbugs).  Also this hoverfly Eristalis tenax.

Eristalis tenax, North Elmham, 5th September