New beetle and bugs make up for unremarkable moths

After a decent afternoon at the meadows on 28th May I set the light at home as usual and drew in a selection of moths over the night.  There was nothing very unexpected but the following were new for the year: Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, 2 Buff Ermines, Large Yellow Underwing, Mottled Rustic and Marbled White Spot.

Crescnt Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 28th May

Buff Ermine, North Elmham, 28th May

Large Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 28th May

Mottled Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

Marbled White Spot, North Elmham, 28th May

Other moths trapped that night were Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 3 Common Swifts, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, Currant Pug, 6 Common Pugs, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Pale Oak Beauty, Engrailed, Privet Hawk-moth, 2 Eyed Hawk-moths, 2 White Ermines, 4 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Shears, 5 Common Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 2 Brown Rustics, 5 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Brown Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

The following night this Clouded Silver was the only new moth for the garden year-list.

Clouded Silver, North Elmham, 29th May

The other moths were Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Cream Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, 7 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Pale Tussocks, 3 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, 2 Common Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Brown Rustic, 3 Treble Lines, Silver Y and 2 Spectacles.

Caddisflies conisted of 7 Limnephilus auricula and, new for the year, 2 Limnephilus lunatus.

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 29th May

This beetle on the ground near the trap proved to be Nebria brevicollis.  When keying it out on first attempt I misinterpreted the degree of swelling on the mandibles and the length of the palps so keying it to Leistus sp.  The Leistus key led me to Leistus rufomarginatus and the insect certainly looked a lot like the one I'd identified as that a while back (13th May).  But I noticed the size was slightly out and I decided to go back through the genus key and double check, at which point I realised it was Nebria not Leistus.  In hindsight I think I probably made the same mistake with the one on 13th May, and that that was probably Nebria brevicollis too, though I shan't record it as I no longer have the specimen to check.

Nebria brevicollis, North Elmham, 29th May

I found a Treble Brown Spot in the hall the following day, a new one for the year, and a Diamond-back Plutella xylostella in the garden.

Treble Brown Spot, North Elmham, 30th May

In the trap that night were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Clouded Border, Marbled Brown and 3 Straw Dots, all new species for the year.

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 30th May

Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, North Elmham, 30th May

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham, 30th May

Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 30th May

Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 30th May

Straw Dot, North Elmham, 30th May

There was a good selection of other moths too: 7 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 4 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Mottled Pugs, Currant Pug, 2 Common Pugs, White-pinion Spotted, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Pale Tussocks, 2 White Ermines, 4 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Shears, Lychnis, 4 Common Wainscots, 4 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

There was a single beetle in the trap, a new species for me Dasytes aeratus.

Dasytes aeratus, North Elmham, 30th May

There was also a Hydropsyche pellucidula (caddisfly) and 2 Psallus sp. (mirid bugs) which at first I left unidentified.  Thanks to Tristan Bantock I have just accessed an excellent key that enables me to make more progress with these and I have been able to establish that they were different species, one Psallus varians and the other either Psallus perrisi or Psallus wagneri.  Both were females and the perrisi/wagneri pair need male genitalia to resolve to speices level (though I think perrisi is much more likely, and a male caught nearby a few days later was indeed this species).

Pasllus varians, North Elmham, 30th May

Pasllus perrisi or Psallus wagneri, North Elmham, 30th May

Coleophora City

The most numerous moth in the trap on Sunday 28th May was Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella - there were 20 of them.  Lurking among them was another Coleophora, slightly different in appearance.  This one proved to be Wood-rush Case-bearer Coleophora otidipennella, a new one for the house, and indeed for the 10k square.  There are fewer than 20 records in Norfolk and apart from one at Holme all come from either the Brecks or the Broads, so good to get one well outside its recorded range.

Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 28th May

Wood-rush Case-bearer Coleophora otidipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 28th May

The following moths were new for the year here: Skin Moth Monopis laevigella, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, Small Seraphim, Ingrailed Clay and Setaceous Hebrew Character.

Skin Moth Monopis laevigella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 28th May

Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, North Elmham, 28th May

Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 28th May

Small Seraphim, North Elmham, 28th May

Ingrailed Clay, North Elmham, 28th May

Other moths were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 False Cacao Moths Ephestia unicolorella, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, 5 Common Swifts, Blood-vein, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 6 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, 7 Green Carpets, 2 Small Rivulets, 3 Mottled Pugs, 3 Common Pugs, Brown Silver-line, 3 Scorched Wings, Pale Oak Beauty, 5 Light Emeralds, Pale Tussock, Orange Footman, White Ermine, 2 Buff Ermines, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Small Square-spot, Nutmeg, Shears, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Brown Rustics, 11 Treble Lines, 2 Straw Dots and Small Fan-foot.

dark form of Common Marble Celypha lacunana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 28th May

Shears - also darker than normal (male, gen det), North Elmham, 28th May

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 28th May

There was a variety of by-catch too including the Mayflies Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum and Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, the caddisflies Cyrnus flavidus, Hydropsyche siltalai, Hydropsyche pellucidula (new for the year), Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus lunatus (new for the year).   Two beetles too - a Harlequin Ladybird and the soldier beetle Cantharis nigricans, the latter my first positively identified here.

sub-imago Pale Evening Dun Proloeon bifidum, North Elmham, 28th May

Cantharis nigricans, North Elmham, 28th May

Oblique Carpet and Shaded Pug, unexpected local records

15th June was fairly unremarkable by mid June standards.  Poplar Grey was the only new moth for the year.

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 15th June

The other moths were 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 4 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 Common Swifts, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Foxglove Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Scorched Wings, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, Common Footman, 5 White Ermines, 3 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, 7 Heart and Darts, Flame, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Small Square-spots, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, Marbled Minor, Middle-barred Minor, 15 Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 3 Burnished Brasses, 2 Spectacles and 4 Straw Dots.

One of the caddisflies was a new species for me: Tinodes waeneri.  The others included Rhyacophila dorsalis, Limnephilus flavicornis, 2 Limnephilus lunatus and Mystacides longicornis.

Tinodes waeneri, North Elmham, 15th June

Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 15th June

The following night was much better.  The highlight was a surprise Oblique Carpet, a species I associate with the Broads.  In fact there are a handful of records from elsewhere in Norfolk but they appear to be very thin on the ground away from the Broads.  In west Norfolk (VC28) there don't appear to have been any other records since one in 2013, so it's not something I particularly expected to turn up in my trap.

Oblique Carpet, North Elmham, 16th June

Another species I didn't really expect to see here was Shaded Pug.  This is mainly a Breckland species, though with a fair few records along the north and west coasts too.  In the middle of the county there aren't many records at all, so another good local record.

Shaded Pug, North Elmham, 16th June

Among the 67 species recorded were a further 9 new for the year at home: Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Maiden's Blush, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Dark Arches and 2 Dusky Brocades.

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham, 16th June

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 16th June

Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, North Elmham, 16th June

Dusky Brocade, North Elmham, 16th June

Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, North Elmham, 16th June

Other species were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, 9 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 12 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 5 Common Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Blood-vein, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 5 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Lime-speck Pug, Common Pug, 2 Grey Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, Brown Silver-line, 3 Scorched Wings, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Willow Beauties, Clouded Silver, 7 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, 2 Common Footmen, 5 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 9 Heart and Darts, 2 Flames, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 8 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, 2 Middle-barred Minors, 8 Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 3 Burnished Brasses, Beautiful Golden Y and 3 Straw Dots.

Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, North Elmham, 16th June

Burnished Brass, North Elmham, 16th June

Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 16th June

Grey Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Caddisflies included anoither Tinodes waeneri, Hydropsyche pellucidula and Limnephilus lunatus.

Hedenham Wood

Last year the Norfolk Moth Survey went to Tindall Wood in the Ditchingham Estate.  I can't remember why I couldn't, or didn't go, but recall thinking I would have liked to have been there when I heard what they saw.  This year NMS returned to the estate but targetting a different wood in a different tetrad - Hedenham Wood, and I made sure I was there.  Heavy rain prior to dusk brought the temperatures down which was a shame, but even so I think we were all surprised and a bit disappointed about quite how few moths there were.  Nevertheless there were some interesting moths making the trip worthwhile.

Two macros were my favourites, if not necessarily the best.  One was a Green Arches - not a species that was new to me but I've only seen a couple before and both were worn and almost more grey than green.  Not so with this verdant delight!

Green Arches, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

The second was a lifer for me, though if I counted moths that other people had trapped, potted and brought to me then I would have already counted it.  It was another very smart moth, an Alder Moth.

Alder Moth, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

Rarer than either of those was a micro, at least we think so but it is awaiting gen det to confirm.  It looks like Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana which would be a new one for me.

apparent (pending confirmation) Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

Highlights from the rest were Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus, New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella and 4 Brindled Tortrixes Ptycholoma lecheana.

Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus (gen det Ben Lewis), Hedenham Wood, 11th June

The rest were 20 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 3 Yellow-spot Tortrixes Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Meadow Greys Scoparia pyralella, Gold Swift, 2 Common Swifts, Blood-vein, Flame Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, Green Carpet, 2 Mottled Pugs, Common Pug, Brown Silver-line, Scorched Wing, 2 Pale Oak Beauties, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawkmoth, Marbled Brown, Lobster Moth, Pale Tussock, Buff Ermine, 2 Flames, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Clouded-bordered Brindles, Marbled Minor, 2 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, Beautiful Golden Y, Straw Dot and Snout.  As always at these sorts of events the numbers are just what I could remember for sure - most would have been higher in reality.

Finally on the way home we found a moth in the car which turned out to be Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella.  This mainly Breckland species can only have come from the wood where I think it's a new species for the 10k square.

Quite a few Green Lacewings flying around, of which all those identified (mainly by Paul Cobb, this one by me) were Chrysopidia ciliata - a common species but with me being new to Lacewing ID it was new for me.

Chrysopidia ciliata, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

Also the odd Brown Lacewings, of which all those identified were Micromus paganus.

Three caddisflies were retained for ID - Limnephilus auricula is the caddis I've seen most of this year, Limnephilus affinis I've not seen nearly as often and Micropterna lateralis was one I had suspected in previous years but my first confirmed with a key.

Micropterna lateralis, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

At home that night several moths were new for the year, including Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, Figure of Eighty, Willow Beauty, Elephant Hawkmoth, 3 Ingrailed Clays and Dusky Brocade.

Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 11th June

Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, North Elmham, 11th June

Figure of Eighty, North Elmham, 11th June

Ingrailed Clay, North Elmham, 11th June

The rest of the crop were 30 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, 5 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 5 Common Swifts, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Sandy Carpet, Mottled Pug, Grey Pug, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawkmoth, Swallow Prominent, Common Footman, 3 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Shears, Light Brocade, Common Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, 2 Middle-barred Minors, 5 Treble Lines and Straw Dot.

Until recenlty I've been finding my new venture of caddisfly identification refreshngly straightforward.  That has tended to be the case with the genus Limnephilus, though not always, and today's were 3 auricula, 3 lunatus and my first Limnephilus rhombicus this year. 

Limnephilus rhombicus, North Elmham, 11th June

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 11th June

Some of the other genera aren't so easy and I find female Hydropsyche a particular challenge.  I'm pretty sure most so far have been pellucidula, though right now I'm not feeling quite confident enough to submit the records.  One of today's four was a bit different, or so it seemed, and I have identified it, if slightly tentatively, as Hydropsyche siltalai. 

apparent Hydropsyche siltalai, North Elmham, 11th June