Review of 2019 and 2020 - Butterflies: Browns and Skippers

BROWNS (SATYRIDAE)


Grayling Hipparchia semele - I forgot to note them down at the time but we saw a few (4+?) at Winterton on 19th August 2019.


Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina - Recorded in the garden and at the meadows between 7th June and 30th August 2019 and between 30th June and 19th August 2020 with peak counts of 350+ at the meadows on 5th July 2019 and 250 there on 10th July 2020.  Also plenty at Foxley Wood both years and a couple at Thompson Common in 2020.

Meadow Brown, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019

Meadow Browns, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th June 2020

Meadow Brown, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus - Seen at the meadows between 24th June and 19th July 2019 plus one relatively late one at Swanton Novers on 15th August.  Numbers at the meadows peaked at just 30 on 5th July, compared to 120 on the same date in 2018.  Fewer in 2020 when seen at the meadows between 20th June and 20th July (max just 5) and up to 10 at Foxley Wood.

Ringlet, Foxley Wood, 10th July 2020

Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus - Recorded between 5th July and 31st August 2019 and 6th July and 11th August 2020, mainly at the meadows but also several in my garden (especially in 2020) and others at Foxley Wood, Hindolveston and Thompson Common.  The total of 40 over 10 dates in 2019 at the meadows doesn't sound great but was a good deal better than the 6 over 2 dates in 2018.  2020 was in between with 18 over 3 dates.  I'm sure this species used to be very much commoner.

Gatekeeper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July 2019

Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus - Only recorded on Mull in 2019 where at least 87 seen at several locations.  Sadly I couldn't find any Large Heaths Coenonympha tullia.  5 at Brancaster on 18th September 2020 was my only record in 2020.  I usually see far more of these but I've stayed much more local than usual these two years.  The species is surprisingly scarce in mid Norfolk - the Millenium Atlas of Norfolk Butterflies doesn't show any records in my 10k square.

Small Heath, Carsaig (Mull), 9th June 2019

Small Heath, between Carsaig and Rubha Dubh (Mull), 10th June 2019

Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria - Recorded at the meadows between 26th April and 14th September 2019 and between 27th May and 16th September 2020; also occasionally in my garden and at Swanton Novers, Foxley Wood and Thompson Common.  Further afield singles at 2 sites in NE Spain on 22nd February 2020 and 5 in Cornwall on 8th/9th October 2020.

Speckled Wood, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2019

Speckled Wood, Gava Mar (NE Spain), 22nd February 2020

Wall Brown Lasiommata megera - None in Norfolk in either year, which is unusual for me (but I mostly see them at the coast and stayed much more local these years).  Several seen at 2 sites in NE Spain on 22nd February 2020.  This species used to be well-recorded locally but has declined massively inland - I haven't found it any closer than Bittering.

Wall Browns, Llobregat Delta (NE Spain), 22nd February 2020

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SKIPPERS (HESPERIIDAE)


Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola - Recorded at the meadows on 5th and 13th July 2019 and 10th (2) and 20th July 2020.

Essex Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July 2019

Essex Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris - Recorded at the meadows on 5th July and 15th August 2019 and on 26th June and 10th and 20th July 2020.  Also at Foxley Wood.

Small Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th July 2019

Small Skippers, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

Small Skippers, Foxley Wood, 10th July 2020

Large Skipper Ochlodes venatus - Recorded at the meadows on 24th June and 5th July 2019 and 10th June (2) and 10th July 2020.

Large Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th June 2020

Large Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

New bugs keep on coming, and a new moth for the garden

After 4 new bugs the previous day it was pretty impressive that I recorded another 5 new bugs in the moth trap on 27th July.  There were fewer moths (just 282 of 68 species and none new for the year) but the bugs made it a worthwhile catch.

The new bugs included Compsidolon salicellum and Psallus falleni. The other heteroptera were Birch Shieldbug and Megalocoleus molliculus, the latter my third this year of a species I recorded for the first time this year.

Compsidolon salicellum, North Elmham, 27th July

Psallus falleni, North Elmham, 27th July

Megalocoleus molliculus, North Elmham, 27th July

There were 3 leafhoppers, all Kybos spp.  Two were females and thus unidentifiable but the male eventually turned out to be Kybos strigilifer, my first ever confirmed example.

Kybos strigilifer (male), North Elmham, 27th July

There were also 2 psyllids, and both were new species for me.  One relatively big and obvious one was Psallus alni and the other was far trickier to identify but after much gazing down the microscope and at the keys I eventually concluded was Cacopsylla pulchra (update 28th Jan: but after examining a subsequent specimen I think I can see where I probably went wrong keying this - the subsequent individual, and probably this one too, was Cacopsylla brunneipennis).

Psallus alni, North Elmham, 27th July

probable Cacopsylla brunneipennis, North Elmham, 27th July

There was also an unprecedented influx of what I call greenfly.  I had assumed that there were a number of different species (and that I had no means of identifying them) but one source I've since found implies that they are all Rose Aphids.  As I didn't retain any I can't check that, but whatever there were there were literally hundreds of them in the trap.  I've never had anything like that before.

The micro moths were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Grey Ermine Yponomeuta sedella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, 3 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Common Case-bearer Coleophora serratella, 4 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Small Dingy Tubics Borkhausenia fuscescens, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Dull Red Neb Bryotropha senectella, 6 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 115 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 28 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Small Purple & Golds Pyrausta aurata, 10 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis and 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis.

Common Case-bearer Coleophora serratella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 27th July

Macros consisted of 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Shaded Broad-bars, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, Lime-speck Pug, Double-striped Pug, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Early Thorn, 8 Dingy Footmen, 5 Common Footmen, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 11 Flame Shoulders, Least Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Clay, Smoky Wainscot, Copper Underwing, Straw Underwing, 3 Dun-bars, 2 Cloaked Minors, Lesser Common Rustic, 3 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock, Silver Y, Spectacle and 9 Straw Dots.

Other insects included the mayflies 2 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum and 4 Pale Evening Duns Procloeon bifidum, the green lacewings Chrysoperla carnea (a confirmed male and 2 presumed females) and Dichochrysa flavifrons, the brown lacewings Hemerobius lutescens (new for the year) and 4 Micromus variegatus, the caddisflies 2 Hydropsyche siltalai, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and 7 Limnephilus auricula, 2 Bradycellus verbasci (beetles), 2 Harlequin Ladybirds, a Marmalade Fly Episyrphus balteatus and 2 Hornets.

Next day at the Cathedral Meadows Essex Skipper was the best of the butterflies.

Essex Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July

Dragonflies included Banded Demoiselle and Common Darter.

Bamded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July

Common Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July

Moths were Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 3 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis and Yellow Shell.

There was a Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita (a mayfly) and both Field and Meadow Grasshoppers.  There were 20 7-spot Ladybirds, 2 Marmalade Flies Episyrphus balteatus, a Common Wasp and a Garden Bumblebee.

Common Wasp, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July

Garden Bumblebee, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July

That night there were only 49 species of moth in the garden, but one of them was new for the garden, Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella, and another new for the year, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella.

Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella, North Elmham, 28th July

Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, North Elmham, 28th July

The other 47 were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 5 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 55 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 19 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 3 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Shaded Broad-bars, 2 Magpie Moths, Scorched Carpet, Coxcomb Prominent, Yellow-tail, Common Footman, Buff Ermine, 2 Ruby Tigers, Turnip Moth, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Copper Underwing, Straw Underwing, Common Rustic, Lesser Common Rustic, Uncertain, 2 Rustics, Silver Y, 4 Straw Dots and Snout.

There wasn't much else apart from moths either: the mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, the brown lacewing Micromus variegatus, the caddisflies 3 Limnephilus rhombicus, the mirid bug Lygus rugulipennis and a Hornet.