Review of 2019 and 2020 - Leafhoppers part 6: subfamily Typhlocybinae II

LEAFHOPPERS (CICADELLIDAE) continued


SUBFAMILY TYPHLOCYBINAE (continued)


Eupteryx atropunctata - One in my garden moth trap on 4th August 2020 was a new species for me.

Eupteryx atropunctata, North Elmham, 4th August 2020

Eupteryx decemnotata - None.  I caught one here in 2017.


Eupteryx florida - One in my garden moth trap on 31st July 2019 was my second here.  None here in 2020 but 4 at the meadows between 8th and 24th April, mostly on White Dead Nettle.

Eupteryx florida, North Elmham, 31st July 2019

Eupteryx florida, North Elmham, 24th April 2020

Eupteryx melissae - One in my garden moth trap on 9th July 2019 was my second record here.

Eupteryx melissae, North Elmham, 9th July 2019

Eupteryx urticae - Found on nettles at the meadows on 19th August and 5th September 2020.  None in the garden but I have recorded this species here before (in 2017).

Eupteryx urticae, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th August 2020

Eupteryx urticae, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th September 2020

Ribautiana cruciata - 2 to light in Cornwall on 7th October 2020.  I've seen this species in Norfolk before but not locally.

female (top) and male Ribautiana cruciata, Tresidder (Cornwall), 7th October 2020 - showing different orientations of the male's aedeagus

Ribautiana debilis - A new leafhopper for me, netted off cherry at the meadows on 3rd June 2020.

male Ribautiana debilis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June 2020 - showing different orientations of its rather fancy aedeagus

Ribautiana scalaris - A new leafhopper for me, to light at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.

Ribautiana scalaris, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Ribautiana tenerrima - Found at the Cathedral Meadows on at least 4 dates between 5th September and 2nd October 2020, mostly on Bramble and largely thanks to a tip from David (@AmblingMan) on Twitter about gently turning over Bramble leaves that show pale speckling (feeding signs).  1-2 others were not recorded as they got away before I could confirm them, but were probably also this species.  Also 2 to light in Cornwall on 6th October 2020.

Ribautiana tenerrima, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th September 2020

Ribautiana tenerrima, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd October 2020

Ribautiana tenerrima, Tresidder (Cornwall), 6th October 2020

Eupterycyba jucunda - None.  I found this species indoors here in 2018.


Lindbergina aurovittata - Caught in my garden moth trap on 23rd June and 16th August 2019 and 14th November 2020.  Also beaten from Oak at the meadows on 8th September 2019 (probably - this one escaped before I could confirm it) and 19th August 2020; also to light at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.

Lindbergina aurovittata, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

Lindbergina aurovittata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th August 2020

Lindbergina aurovittata, North Elmham, 14th November 2020

Next page: more Leafhoppers

Leafhoppers

A Red-green Carpet was new for the year at home on 15th October.  Other moths that night were Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 4 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Common Marbled Carpet, 7 November Moths, Black Rustic, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, 2 Red-line Quakers, Beaded Chestnut, Lunar Underwing and Straw Dot.   There were also caddisflies: 3 Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus.

At Burnham Overy the next day there was the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea among the Sea Buckthorn, a Small Copper and 4 Red Admirals, and the barkfly Graphopsocus cruciatus.

Graphopsocus cruciatus, Burnham Overy, 16th October

That afternoon it became eerily dark quite early on with calm conditions and dark grey cloud.  This prompted my to override the timer on my moth trap with a view to putting it on early.  Somehow in doing so I blew the electrics and so was forced to use my old Skinner trap for the next couple of nights (not quite as good at holding moths compared to the Robinsons).  I misdiagnosed the fault initially - it turned out to be the bulb so I could have just swapped the bulbs over but it took me a couple of days to realise that.  Anyway in the Skinner trap that night were Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 November Moths, Green-brindled Crescent, Merveille du Jour, Chestnut, Red-line Quaker, Yellow-line Quaker, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing, Barred Sallow, Chrysoperla carnea agg. and Limnephilus lunatus.

The following night was reasonably good with Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, 7 November Moths, Feathered Thorn, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Green-brindled Crescents, Merveille du Jour, Brick, 6 Beaded Chestnuts, Rosy Rustic and Burnished Brass.

Brick, North Elmham, 17th October

Four species of caddisflies included my first Limnephilus decipiens for the garden (closely following my first ever at Bacton Wood on 14th).  The others were Limnephilus affinis, 10 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus vittatus.

Limnephilus decipiens, North Elmham, 17th October

The following night was excellent for the time of year - 76 moths of 21 species: a record 7 Garden Midgets Phyllonorycter messaniella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Red-green Carpet, 6 November Moths, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 8 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Black Rustics, 6 Green-brindled Crescents, 3 Merveille du Jours, 2 Satellites, 4 Yellow-line Quakers, 11 Beaded Chestnuts, 2 Barred Sallows, Sallow, 2 Angle Shades, Rosy Rustic, Large Wainscot, 7 Straw Dots and Snout.

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham, 18th October

There were also 33 caddisflies: Limnephilus affinis, 3 Limnephilus auricula, 2 Limnephilus flavicornis and an impressive 27 Limnephilus lunatus.  Other insects included 4 Chrysoperla carnea (2 males, 2 agg. females), the bug Pinalitus cervinus and the water beetle Rhantus suturalis and, new for the year, the barkfly Valenzuela flavidus.

Valenzula flavidus, North Elmham, 18th October

It was the leafhoppers that provided the most interest though, with no less than 3 species all identified for the first time.  I'd trapped quite a few Kybos sp. previously including 4 females already this year that were either betulicola or smaragdula, but not fully identifable as females.  It would only be a matter of time before an identifiable male turned up and tonight was its turn, a male Kybos betulicola.

Kybos betulicola, North Elmham, 18th October

A Eupteryx melissae was a little more distinctive, and new for me.

Eupteryx melissae, North Elmham, 18th October

I've trapped quite a lot of plain yellow leafhoppers before and thought they were (at least) one of the difficult-to-identify Edwardsiana species.  In fact some examples of Fagocyba sp. are similar and I hadn't properly ruled those out.  Indeed, armed with online keys I'd not found until relatively recently I identified the four I caught on this occasion as Fagocyba cruenta.

Fagocyba cruenta, North Elmham, 18th October