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

First decent moth-trapping session at the meadows

I returned to the Cathedral Meadows at dusk on Friday 25th and set up two lights. There was quite a good variety of species - 61 species in the end.  Most of them were fairly much expected but a rather tatty Common Roller Ancylis badiana was a surprise.  Despite its common name this speceis certainly isn't common in Norfolk away from the Brecks (actually away from a fairly small section of the eastern side of the Brecks).

Common Roller Ancylis badiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Other micros consisted of Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, 3 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 4 Gorse Case-bearers Coleophora albicosta, 2 Triple-spot Dwarfs Elachista maculicerusella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, 2 Chamomile Conches Cochylidia implicitana, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 5 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana, 2 Pea Moths Cydia nigricana, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis and Bee Moth Aphomia sociella.

Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella (female, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Gorse Case-bearers Coleophora albicosta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

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

Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

The 43 species of macro moth were 2 Pebble Hook-tips, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, 2 Small Phoenixes, Common Marbled Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, 8 Green Carpets, Rivulet, Sandy Carpet, 2 Mottled Pugs, Lime-speck Pug, Common Pug, Oak-tree Pug, 2 Brown Silver-lines, 4 Scorched Wings, 2 Brimstone Moths, Scalloped Hazel, Pale Oak Beauty, 3 White-pinion Spotteds, 2 Clouded Silvers, Lime Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Marbled Browns, 6 Pale Tussocks, 9 White Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, 5 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flames, 6 Flame Shoulders, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, White-point, Common Wainscot, Rustic Shoulder-knot and 2 Spectacles.

Blood-vein, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Small Phoenix, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Lime-speck Pug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Scorched Wing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Lime Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Pale Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Pale Tussock, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

White Ermine, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

White-point, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There were also 5 species of caddisfly: Hydropsyche pellucidula, Phryganea bipunctata, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 2 Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus sparsus.

The only bug was a new species for me, and a striking one too, even if its name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue: Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus.

Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There were 3 Cockchafers and this Denticollis linearis which was another new species for me.

Denticollis linearis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

I haven't yet managed to put a name to this caterpillar or this grasshopper nymph (please let me know if you can).

unidentified caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

unidentified grasshopper nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle

Some good insecting on Thursday 22nd May began at Ryburgh where moths consisted of Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella, 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 3 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella and Silver-ground Carpet. I didn't manage to catch a shiny colourful beetle but after finding a similar one at home the following day I identified it retrospectively as Garden Chafer, a new one for me though I'm pretty sure I have seen and not identified them before.  Other beetles were more obliging - there were lots of similar beetles feeding in buttercup flowers and the one I retained proved to be Oedemera lurida, the first time I have identified this species too.  A similar but larger and brighter example proved to be Swollen-thighed Beetle Odemera nobilis.

Oedemera lurida, Ryburgh, 22nd May

Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis, Ryburgh, 22nd May

Moving on to Thursford Wood another beetle was one of the highlights - another new species for me and a more distinctive one, Two-banded Longhorn Beetle.

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle, Thursford Wood, 22nd May

Another new beetle was probably Altica oleracea.  I think the relatively large size (compared to other members of the genus) point to this species, plus it seems to be one of the commoner ones (if not commonest), but it seems that the male genitalia ought to be checked when identifying individuals from this genus, and I think this one was a female.

Altica sp., probably Altica oleracea, Thursford Wood, 22nd May

As I didn't fancy taking this one's mites home with me I'm pleased it was identifiable from photos - another new one for me, Common Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides.

Common Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, Thursford Wood, 22nd May

Another Malthodes marginatus was identified and 3 Dock Bugs were seen.  A pale green lacewing proved to be Chrysopidia ciliata and there were 15 Azure Damselfies.

Malthodes marginatus (male, gen det), Thursford Wood, 22nd May

Dock Bug, Thursford Wood, 22nd May

Chrysopidia ciliata, Thursford Wood, 22nd May

Some moths were seen too, of course, including Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella, Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella, Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericiella, Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Nut Leaf Blister Moth Phyllonorycter coryli, 3 Sulphur Tubics Esperia sulphurella, 2 Bluebell Conches Hysterophora maculosana and 3 Silver-ground Carpets.

It was a good night for moths at home too with these new for the year: Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Light Emerald, Shears, Common Wainscot and Brown Rustic.

Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, North Elmham, 22nd May

White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, North Elmham, 22nd May

Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd May

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, North Elmham, 22nd May

Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiatata, North Elmham, 22nd May

Light Emerald, North Elmham, 22nd May

Shears, North Elmham, 22nd May

Common Wainscot, North Elmham, 22nd May

Brown Rustic, North Elmham, 22nd May

Other moths were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 5 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Green Carpets, 3 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, Waved Umber, Poplar Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, 2 Pale Tussocks, 2 White Ermines, Cinnabar, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Nutmeg, 7 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 22nd May

There were also two caddisflies - Cyrnus flavidus being new for the house and Limnephilus vittatus.

Cyrnus flavidus, North Elmham, 22nd May