Foulden Common

My first night back after my trip to Cornwall was a poor one for moths with just Yellow-barred Brindle, Early Thorn and 2 Hebrew Characters.  The first of those was a new species for the year.

Yellow-barred Brindle, North Elmham, 8th April

There was also this tiny juvenile Common Earwig and, in the house, another Varied Carpet Beetle.

Common Earwig, North Elmham, 8th April

Sunshine the next day produced Brimstone butterflies at a couple of places and in the evening I headed off to have a look round Foulden Common.  This is a site I've never visited before but have heard it mentioned a few times in the context of mothing.  The exposed parts of the west side of the common were too breezy to be any good but I caught Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae and Double-striped Pug here, along with the green and brown lacewings Chrysoperla canea and Hemerobius humulinus.

Brown Birch Slender Paronix betulae (male, gen det), Foulden Common, 9th April

Hemerobius humulinus, Foulden Common, 9th April

The eastern side was more sheltered and I netted another Double-striped Pug and an Early Purple Eriocrania semipurpurella.  The latter are quite hard to identify with certainty and although I had probably seen it before I hadn't managed to confirm any of the previous ones, so good to get one I was happy with at last.

Early Purple Eriocrania semipurpurella (female, gen det), Foulden Common, 9th April

Actually "gen det" simplifies it a bit too much - the ID was done through a combination of the hindwing scale width, the size and separaton of the sensoria (basically holes) on the bottom of the abdomen and a tiny little bit of its genitalia.

This leafhopper was a very common species, Empoasca vitis.

Empoasca vitis, Foulden Common, 9th April

As it got dark I decided conditions weren't good enough to bother setting up the MV light but did another quick circuit of the common with a headtorch.  This confirmed my suspicion that conditions were not good as all I added were Water Carpet and Early Thorn.  Oh, and a few click-beetles flying around which all looked the same and the one I retained for checking proved to be Dalopius marginatus.

Dalopius marginatus, Foulden Common, 9th April

Not many moths at home either, although 3 different micros made for a change.  These were Streaked Flat-body Depressaria chaerophylli (new for the year and a species I've only seen twice before) Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana and another new one for the year, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea.  Macros consisted of Shoulder Stripe, 2 Streamers and 3 Hebrew Characters.

Streaked Flat-body Depressaria chaerophylli (female, gen det), North Elmham, 9th April

Other insects in the trap were a Black Sexton Beetle and a new hoverfly species for me, Platycheirus albimanus.  Most examples of this genus (which I'd never encountered before) are characterised by the modifications on the front tarsi which you can see in the image below (the yellow feet sticking out behind the eyes).

Platycheirus albimanus, North Elmham, 9th April

The following night another Streaked Flat-body Depressaria chaerophylli was the highlight.  Muslin Moth was new for the year and there were also Streamer, Early Thorn, Oak Beauty and 2 Hebrew Characters. A German Wasp was also new for the year.

Streaked Flat-body Depressaria chaerophylli (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th April

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 10th April

German Wasp, North Elmham, 10th April

albitarsella but the tarsi weren't very albi

White-legged Case-bearer Coleophora albitarsella is supposed to be one of the few Coleophora that can be identified without recourse to dissection.  Well I didn't notice the white legs on this one on 21st July so dissected it.  There was some white on the legs but it wasn't very obvious - it certainly didn't have white tarsi on every leg as it's supposed to.  But a new moth for me, so I'm not complaining.

White-legged Case-bearer Coleophora albitarsella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Earlier in the day I'd had another Small Tortoiseshell come in the house but you don't expect butterflies in the moth trap, with them being diurnal.  Occasionally it happens though, and it was a Green-veined White this time.

Two nights earlier I reported a ring of Water Veneers round the trap in the evening.  Hardly any the next night but the same thing happened this night, only even more: 200 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella in a squirming heaving circle in the grass round the trap.  Once again most of them had disappeared before dawn.

Long-winged Pearl Anania lancealis was new for the garden and Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Least Carpet, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Ear Moth were new for the year.

Ear Moth (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 21st July

Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, North Elmham, 21st July

Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

A total of 564 moths but less variety with the species count only just breaking triple figures (101).  Other macros were 4 Chinese Characters, Buff Arches, Large Emerald, Small Blood-vein, Lesser Cream Wave, 10 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, 20 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Shaded Broad-bars, Common Carpet, Small Rivulet, Green Pug, Small Yellow Wave, 2 Clouded Borders, 2 Early Thorns, 2 Scalloped Oaks, 2 Swallow-tailed Moths, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawkmoth, 2 Buff-tips, 3 Yellow-tails, 3 Round-winged Muslins, 25 Rosy Footmen, 31 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, 63 Common Footmen, 6 Buff Ermines, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Large Yellow Underwing, Double Square-spot, 5 Clays, 4 Smoky Wainscots, Dun-bar, 3 Dark Arches, Clouded Brindle, 2 Double Lobeds, 4 Common Rustics, 4 Lesser Common Rustics, Ear Moth, 30 Uncertains, 4 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, 2 Spectacles, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Straw Dots and 3 Fan-foots.

Other micros were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, 6 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 7 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 4 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 4 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 6 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 4 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 5 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, 7 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Not much non-avian interest - the Orthotrichia costalis I mentioned in the previous days' post and the only other caddis recorded was Mystacides longicornis.  It's so busy on the moth front now I'm having to be a bit selective with the caddisflies, not recording all of them.  Wasps are starting to appear in bigger numbers, this one being a German Wasp.

German Wasp, North Elmham, 21st July

Next day a lunchtime stroll at Houghton produced a surprise Clouded Magpie.  Also Common Marble Celypha lacunana and the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius humulinus.

The moth trap that night delivered only 85 species (309 moths).  New for the house was Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana but rarer (and new for the year here) was Dotted Ermel Ethmia dodecea.

Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, North Elmham, 22nd July

Dotted Ermel Ethmia dodecea, North Elmham, 22nd July

A Pine Hawkmoth was also new for the year.

Pine Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 22nd July

Other macros were 2 Chinese Characters, 6 Small Fan-footed Waves, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 24 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, Common Carpet, Phoenix, July Highflyer, 4 Clouded Borders, 3 Early Thorns, 4 Scalloped Oaks, Willow Beauty, 2 Engraileds, Common White Wave, Poplar Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Yellow-tails, Round-winged Muslin, 11 Rosy Footmen, 25 Dingy Footmen, Buff Footman, 61 Common Footmen, 11 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Large Yellow Underwing, 7 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, 4 Clays, Smoky Wainscot, Dark Arches, Slender Brindle, 3 Common Rustics, 21 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock, 2 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Slender Brindle, North Elmham, 22nd July

Best of the other micros was another Plum Fruit Moth Grapholita funebrana.

Plum Fruit Moth Grapholita funebrana, North Elmham, 22nd July

The other micros were 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, 2 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 2 Bramble Shoot Moths Notocelia uddmanniana, Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 4 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, 4 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, 20 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Other insects included a new leafhopper for me: Edwardsiana geometrica.

 Edwardsiana geometrica, North Elmham, 22nd July

A Tiger with no stripes

Went birding at Minsmere last Saturday.  Didn't see much of non-avian interest - a few common butterflies and 7 Red Deer, plus this caterpillar in the dunes which I think has to be Cream-spot Tiger (but please correct me if I'm wrong).

Cream-spot Tiger, Minsmere, 7th May

That night's moth trapping at home produced 3 new for the year: Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella and Coxcomb Prominent.

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, North Elmham, 7th May

Coxcomb Prominent, North Elmham, 7th May

The other moths were 4 Streamers, Brindled Pug, Brindled Beauty, 2 Waved Umbers, Pebble Prominent, 2 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Swallow Prominent, Chocolate-tip, Pale Tussock, Muslin Moth, 4 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.

Chocolate-tip, North Elmham, 7th May

Caddisflies included Glyphotaelius pellucidus and 2 Limnephilus auricula.  This wasp was in the trap, seemingly a German Wasp judging from the facial markings and large size.  Apparently German Wasps are native the the UK, despite their name.  Mind you, I doubt if that would stop Boris or Farage using them to support their case for Brexit if they knew about them - facts aren't important if you can play on fears, as any Trump will tell you.

German Wasp, North Elmham, 7th May

I hoped to put a name to this one too, but have failed to do so.  I think it's possibly one of the Brachonid family of parasitic wasps but not sure about that.

unidentified insect, possibly one of the Brachonid wasps, North Elmham, 7th May