Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Dwarfs (Elachistidae) (part 1)

DWARFS (ELACHISTIDAE)


Honeysuckle Dwarf Perittia obscurepunctella - None.  I've only ever found one of these and never near here, but it's widespread enough (if scarce) and there's plenty of Honeysuckle round here so must be a fair chance of it turning up locally.


Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella - A total of 7 in my garden trap between 24th May to 17th June, a remarkable showing given that I'd only recorded 2 in the garden since moving here in 2014 (2016 and 2018).  Another 3 in 2020, between 8th and 26th May.  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows on 25th May 2019 and 2 there in 2020.

Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, North Elmham, 24th May 2019

Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd May 2020

Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea - None.  I've recorded this species at the meadows and at a couple of other sites not far away but so far not in my garden.


Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella - 3 caught in my garden between 8th and 14th September 2020.  Previously I've recorded this species in my garden a couple of times (2015 and 2018).  Elewhere one at the meadows on 5th June 2019, one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and one at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020.

male Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

male Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Marsh Dwarf Elachista alpinella - One in the garden on 3rd September 2019.  This is normally quite a scarce species, not recorded every year in Norfolk.  Previously my only records were in the very good year of 2016 when the crop of 7 county records included 3 in my garden and one I trapped elsewhere.

male Marsh Dwarf Elachista atricomella, North Elmham, 3rd September 2019

White-headed Dwarf Elachista albifrontella - None.  I'm yet to record this fairly widespread species locally.


Pearled Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella - Trapped in my garden on 24th June and 22nd July 2019 and 26th May 2020.  I'd only caught this species here twice before (2017 and 2018).  Also singles at the meadows on 6th May 2019 and 3rd May and 13th July 2020.

male Pearled Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

male Pearled Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd May 2020

male Pearled Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2020

Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella - 7 in my garden trap between 16th May and 1st June 2019 and then 25 between 23rd June and 23rd September.  A total of 32 represents my worst year for these since 2015 but 2020 was my best with 95 between 17th April and 26th September.  Although this is far and away my commonest Elachistid in the garden I've recorded very few indeed from other sites (none in 2019 or 2020).

male Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, North Elmham, 17th April 2020

Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufocinerea - One in my trap on 24th April 2019 was a new moth for the garden but I caught almost exactly a year later, on 23rd April 2020.  At the meadows 6 flying at dusk on 25th April 2020 and one on 2nd May.  The majority of times I've recorded this species in the past it has been day-flying or netted at dusk - it doesn't seem to come to light very often.

Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufocinerea, North Elmham, 24th April 2019

Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufocinerea, North Elmham, 23rd April 2020

Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufocinerea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April 2020

Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella - 5 in my garden trap between 1st June and 25th July 2019, the most I had recorded here in a year but beaten by 6 between 8th May and 16th August 2020.  Also recorded at the meadows where a maximum of 40 counted flying on 25th May 2020; also at Sculthorpe Moor.

Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, Sculthorpe Moor, 26th April 2019

Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April 2020

Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, North Elmham, 8th May 2020

Next page: more Elachistidae plus

Banham Zoo bioblitz

A few of us rocked up to Banham Zoo on the evening of 10th September to help with their bioblitz weekend.  We arrived in the rain and by the time darkness fell the rain was still going strong.  Not willing to be defeated I set my light up in a shelter so that it could stay dry while still attracting any moths stupid enough to be flying.  Then when the rain eventually stopped I moved it out, but the skies cleared as soon as the rain stopped and the temperature plummeted.  Far from ideal conditions but we still managed a few interesting moths.

The highlight from my perspective was a new moth for me: Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella.

Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella, Banham Zoo, 10th September

There were also 2 Marsh Dwarfs Elachista alpinella, a species which by that time I had never positively identified although I had 3 suspects sitting in pots at home from earlier in the month.

Marsh Dwarf Elachista alpinella (male, gen det), Banham Zoo, 10th September

Other moths I recorded were Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella, White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, 2 White-faced Tortrixes Pandemis cinnamomeana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Dusty Wave, Garden Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, Double-striped Pug, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, 2 Light Emeralds, Ruby Tiger, Flame Shoulder, 6 Large Yellow Underwings, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, 2 Angle Shades and 3 Snouts.

Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, Banham Zoo, 10th September

Common Marbled Carpet, Banham Zoo, 10th September

This being a bioblitz we all tried as best as we could to find and identify other groups too.  I retained a few caddisflies for checking and among these were two species I'd not recorded before: Cyrnus flavidus and Hydropsyche augustipennis.  Others were Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 3 Limnephilus auricula, 2 Limnephilus flavicornis, Limnephilus marmoratus and Limnephilus vittatus.

Cyrnus flavidus (female), Banham Zoo, 10th September

Hydropsyche angustipennis (male), Banham Zoo, 10th September

Stewart was looking at leafhoppers so I passed him some which proved to be Metidiocerus rutilans, Viridicerus ustulatus and Tremulicerus tremulae (all alternatively placed in the genus Idiocerus - I'm not quite sure which is currently regarded as correct).  I retained 3 myself (by accident - thought I'd passed them all to Stewart) and these proved to be another Viridicerus ustulatus and 2 Idiocerus stigmaticalis.  All of these were new species for me.

Viridicerus (=Idiocerus) ustulatus, Banham Zoo, 10th September

Idiocerus stigmaticalis, Banham Zoo, 10th September

This barkfly proved to be Valenzuela flavidus - a familiar looking creature both in name and appearance so I thought I'd recorded it before... can't see that I have though having checked my records.

Valenzula flavidus, Banham Zoo, 10th September

I'm not competent to do much with flies but one looked so distinctive I decided to retain it and see what it was.  Wasn't as easy as I'd imagined as it's a big genus and I couldn't find any details of what most of them look like, but in the end it turned out to be Macrocera phalerata.

Macrocerua phalerata, Banham Zoo, 10th September

The light also attracted a Hornet and a German Wasp, the latter discovered when it stung me.  The last couple of times I've been stung by wasps it was pretty much a non-event, barely any worse than a stinging nettle and lasting even less time.  This was something else - left me uncomfortable and sore for about 10 days.

Other species recorded included Common Toad, Speckled and Oak Bush-crickets, Common Earwig, the Green Lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg. (female), the Scorpion Fly Panorpa germanica, Orange and Harlequin Ladybirds, Tree Slug, about 30 Common Rough Woodlice and 10 White-legged Snake Millipedes.  Someone also pointed out the spider Nuctenea umbratica, a new one for me.

Nuctena umbratica, Banham Zoo, 10th September

Nothing much to shout about in the moth trap at home that night: Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 4 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 3 Blood-veins, Small Blood-vein, Small Dusty Wave, Common Marbled Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, 3 Brimstone Moths, Willow Beauty, 4 Light Emeralds, Flame Shoulder, 4 Large Yellow Underwings, 8 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, Square-spot Rustic, 2 Common Wainscots, 2 Flounced Rustics, Silver Y, Straw Dot and 6 Snouts.

The hoverfly Eupeodes latifasciatus was new for the year.

Eupeodes latifasciatus, North Elmham, 10th September

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