Gold-sheen Clothes Moths and another insectella

My first Gold-sheen Clothes Moth Nemapogon ruricolella for the garden came to a pheronomore lure for Yellow-legged Clothes Moth last year.  My second came to the same pheromone lure this year, on 25th June.  Probably it was no coincidence that my third came to my Robinson trap overnight that very same night.  I can only guess that it was attracted to the garden by the pheromone lure, didn't go in the trap so was still in the garden when the light trap switched on and got caught by that instead.  This is still a rarely-recorded species in Norfolk with just 6 post-Victorian records prior to these but half of those were mine (all from different locations) and I can't help thinking that this species is being overlooked because they don't come to light traps very often.

Gold-sheen Clothes Moths Nemapogon ruricolella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 25th June

Four new moths for the year in the trap that night were Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Rosy Footman and Short-cloaked Moth.  The clothes moth seems to be on the increase in Norfolk - I had the first post-Victorian record at Warham Greens in 2014 followed by two more here at home in 2015.  There were three more records elsewhere in the county in 2016-17, but this is still a good record for the time being.

Drab Clothes Moths Haplotinea insectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 25th June

Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 25th June

Short-cloaked Moth, North Elmham, 25th June

Other moths were 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Small Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Barred Straws, Willow Beauty, 2 Privet Hawk-moths, Common Footman, 10 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Clubs, 6 Heart and Darts, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Double Square-spot, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Smoky Wainscot, 2 Common Wainscots, 3 Brown Rustics, Treble Lines, 6 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, 2 Straw Dots and Snout. Also the caddisfly Hydropsyche pellucidula and a Common Frog.

Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, North Elmham, 25th June

The following night saw another wave of new moths for the year, viz. 3 Plain Conches Phtheochroa inopiana, Rose Tortrix Archips rosana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Buff Arches, Yellow Shell, Haworth's Pug, 2 Wormwood Pugs, Scarce Footman and Rustic.

Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 26th June

Rose Tortrix Archips rosana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, North Elmham, 26th June

Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, North Elmham, 26th June

Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, North Elmham, 26th June

Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, North Elmham, 26th June

Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, North Elmham, 26th June

Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

Beautiful Plume Ambvlyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 26th June

Buff Arches, North Elmham, 26th June

Yellow Shell, North Elmham, 26th June

Haworth's Pug, North Elmham, 26th June

Rustic, North Elmham, 26th June

With the others the species total hit 94, not bad but some way to go to the peak counts possible at this time of year.  The others were 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Buff Mompha Mompha ochraceella, 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, 4 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 21 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 8 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 Ghost Moths, 6 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 21 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, 8 Barred Straws, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Barred Yellows, 3 Sandy Carpets, Common Pug, 3 Grey Pugs, V-Pug, 6 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Small Yellow Waves, 3 Clouded Borders, 4 Brimstone Moths, Willow Beauty, 4 Mottled Beauties, 4 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Eyed Hawk-moth, Rosy Footman, 5 Common Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 2 Short-cloaked Moths, Turnip Moth, Heart and Club, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 2 Flame Shoulders, Ingrailed Clay, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 4 Smoky Wainscots, 4 Common Wainscots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Brown Rustic, 2 Dark Arches, Tawny Marbled Minor, 4 Uncertains, 3 Mottled Rustics, Burnished Brass, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Straw Dots, 6 Snouts and 6 Fan-foots.

Other insects included the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg., the caddisfly Limnephilus sparsus and an Orange Ladybird.

A first for Norfolk - nearly!

On Monday 19th June I considered having a wander round Beetley Common, just 5 minutes away and good for insects last time I was there.  But there had been a Lesser Emperor at Selbrigg Pond for a few days and it was reported as still being there, and I've never seen a Lesser Emperor in the UK, so I thought I'd head there instead.  That proved to be a very unfortunate decision!  There were a few dragonflies on view including normal Emperors and Red-eyed Damselflies, but I couldn't find the Lesser Emperor.  A couple sitting by the pond said there had been people there watching it who left just before I arrived, and I someone who must have arrived just after I left tweeted that it was still there shortly afterwards, so it seems that I was very unlucky.  To make matters worse Kevin du Rose visited Beetley Common while I was at Selbrigg and found, guess what - a Lesser Emperor!

The lady sitting by the pond found this caterpillar which she wanted me to identify.  I'm rubbish at caterpillars and couldn't help, but having now looked it up I think it's an Oak Beauty.

Oak Beauty, Selbrigg Pond, 19th June

I made up for the disappointment with Lesser Emperor when it came to checking the moths I caught overnight.  Among them was a smart streaky grey gelechiid which looked interesting.  It looked like an Anarsia species, but not Anarsia spartiella, the one I've seen before - it was too streaky.  It looked more like Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella, a species only recorded in Norfolk once before and usually found among imported peaches.  Well this wasn't among imported peaches and I wasn't convinced it was this species, but on first look I couldn't find any similar species - certainly not on the Norfolk Moths website anyway, nor the UK Moths website.  My next stop was Lepiforum where I discovered a species called Anarsia innoxiella, very similar to Peach Twig Borer.  Helpfully Lepiforum has an image detailing the differences between the two species and sure enough my moth was spot on for Anarsia innoxiella!  I then checked back on Norfolk Moths, UK Moths and some other British moth websites and couldn't find innoxiella mentioned anywhere... surely I hadn't found a first for Britain?  Next stop was Google and that led me to the Gelechiid Recording Scheme and there on its news page was the information that Anarsia innoxiella had been split from Peach Twig Borer only as recently as March 2017.  It stated that, "Initial examination of recently light-trapped British material, which were thought to be A. lineatella, suggest many could well be referable to the new species, Anarsia innoxiella."  Hmm, "could well be"?  Does that mean innoxiella hasn't actually been confirmed yet?  Are they waiting for a specimen?  Could mine be the first confirmed British record?  Well no, for elsewhere on the same website I found a page for the species which clarified that there have indeed been confirmed records and that "Early indications are that it is well established in south-east England but should be considered at best local in its distribution."  So certainly not new to the UK but maybe to Norfolk?  None on the Norfolk Moths website so it was looking hopeful that I might at least have found a first for Norfolk.  Well sadly it turns out that it wasn't even that - not quite - for Andy Wallis had trapped one just three nights earlier.  I'd been pipped to the post - and not for the first time (a very similar thing happened with my first Italian Tubic Metalampra italica).  Still, a very nice find, second for Norfolk, first for VC28 and of course a new moth for me.

Anarsia innoxiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Among the rest of the catch several species were new for the year including two I have rarely seen before (both on just single occasions here before) - Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta and Haworth's Pug.

Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta, North Elmham, 19th June

Others new for the year here were Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Leopard Moth, Peach Blossom, July Highflyer and Poplar Grey.

Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 19th June

Peach Blossom, North Elmham, 19th June

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 19th June

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana was my third record and first outside of January/February.

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Satyr Pug was also my third, and for the third time its identity wasn't realised until after it had died.  Here it is with the Haworth's Pug and a Grey Pug also caught that night - I suppose I shouldn't beat myself up too much for not realising I had all three species straight away...

Satyr Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Haworth's Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Grey Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

The other moths caught were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella, 2 Woundwort Case-bearers Coleophora lineolea, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 3 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 11 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 4 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 13 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 5 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 8 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Buff Arches, 2 Common Emeralds, Dwarf Cream Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 8 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, 6 Barred Straws, 4 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Privet Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 3 Rosy Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, 9 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 2 Short-cloaked Moths, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, Shears, Common Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 6 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 11 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Spectacle, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, 20 Straw Dots, 3 Snouts and 2 Fan-foots.

Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, North Elmham, 19th June

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 19th June

Caddisflies were represented by 2 Ecnomus tenellus, Mystacides longicornis and Oecetis lacustris, and Mayflies by a Green Drake Ephemera danica.  There was another Fly Bug Reduvius personatus in the trap along with two other bugs that were new for the year here: Stenotus binotatus and the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Stenotus binotatus, North Elmham, 19th June

Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 19th June

Smooth Newt, Haworth's Pug, my first Leucospilapteryx and a return to Claxton Manor

The biggest surprise when I went down to check the moths on 5th August was a Smooth Newt on the sheet.  I've had a few fleeting glimpses of newts over the years but it's been a long time since I have had the opportunity to have a really good look at one.

Smooth Newt, North Elmham, 5th August

A new moth for me was Mugwort Slender Leucospilapteryx omisella.  (Note this page was edited in 2020 when I caught another and realised its correct identity - back in 2016 when this page was first published, it went down erroneously as Brown Oak Slender Acrocercops brongniardella.)

Mugwort Slender Leucospilapteryx omissella, North Elmham, 5th August

Other micros were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 2 Ribwort Slenders Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 4 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermines Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, 4 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 2 Dark Groundlings Bryotropha affinis, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, 11 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 32 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 14 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 4 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, 20 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

By far the best macro was a Haworth's Pug - only my second ever and first at home.

Haworth's Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 5th August

Six-striped Rustic was new for the year and the other macros were Drinker, 2 Pebble Hook-tips, Least Carpet, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 4 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, 3 Shaded Broad-bars, 4 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, Magpie Moth, Clouded Border, Early Thorn, Peppered Moth, Mottled Beauty, Poplar Hawkmoth, Iron Prominent, Pebble Prominent, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 7 Yellow-tails, Black Arches, 5 Rosy Footmen, 11 Dingy Footmen, 4 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 7 Common Footmen, 3 Ruby Tigers, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 6 Flame Shoulders, 16 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Nutmeg, Lychnis, Poplar Grey, Dun-bar, 4 Dark Arches, Flounced Rustic, 3 Uncertains, 4 Nut-tree Tussocks, Silver Y, 11 Straw Dots, Snout and 2 Fan-foots.

Six-striped Rustic, North Elmham, 5th August

Next day I saw a Southern Hawker in the garden - the first time I've positively identified one here.

That evening I joined others for the Norfolk Moth Survey event at Claxton Manor.  We went here last year and had a very successful time but this time it was later in the season and in far from perfect weather being quite clear and cool as well as a bit breezy.  The site where I set up was particularly challenging due to the breeze and the variety of moths coming to my light was very poor.

One feature of the night was good numbers of Bactra (30+) and I couldn't help but notice the remarkable variety in types shown.  I was pretty confident some would turn out to be Mottled Marbles Bactra furfurana although others looked like typical Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana.  I retained 5, selecting examples that showed a variety of appearances but none like typical lancealana.  Afterwards Ken mentioned that he had had a similar experience where he was trapping with a range of different-looking individuals, and he too retained a couple for checking.  Ken came back with the results of his first - they were 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana.  Perhaps all mine would turn out to be the much commoner lancealana after all?  Eventually I dissected mine and the first one, a male, was clearly Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana.  The other four were all females and while these looked promising for furfurana too I struggled to find really clear images of female genitalia of the various Bactra species to compare them too.  Eventually I decided to hunt out a typical-looking lancealana so I could compare them to that - fortunately the first one I found was a female and its genitalia were quite clearly different from the Claxton Manor examples.  At last I was satisfied to conclude that all 5 of the individuals I retained (and probably 10+ of the individuals seen) were Mottled Marbles Bactra furfurana.

Mottled Marbles Bactra furfurana (male top and 4 females below, gen det), Claxton Manor, 6th August

Other highlights at my sheet included Leopard Moth, Maple Prominent, Small Wainscot, Webb's Wainscot and 2 Crescents.

Leopard Moth, Claxton Manor, 6th August

Small Wainscot, Claxton Manor, 6th August

Webb's Wainscot, Claxton Manor, 6th August

Crescent, Claxton Manor, 6th August

Others included Bulrush Cosmet Limnaecia phragmitella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Smoky-barred Marble Lobesia abscisana, Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, 4 Brown China-marks Elophila nymphaeata, 15 Small China-marks Cataclysta lemnata, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Drinker, Common Carpet, Iron Prominent, 2 Dingy Footmen, Ruby Tiger, Flame Shoulder, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Six-striped Rustic, 2 Antler Moths, Southern Wainscot, Smoky Wainscot, Common Rustic, Rosy Rustic and Straw Dot.

Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, Claxton Manor, 6th August

I managed to get along to Ben's trap briefly and added Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Tiger and 2 Twin-spotted Wainscots to the tally, along with Common Wave along the track on the way.  I think it was after we'd packed up and we caught up with the others that I saw a Reed Dagger in someone's pot and two Coleophora which subsequently proved to be Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella (only my third) and Glasswort Case-bearer Coleophora salicorniae (a new moth for me).

Twin-spotted Wainscot, Claxton Manor, 6th August

So far I haven't worked out what this Ichneumon wasp was:

Ichneumon sp., Claxton Manor, 6th August

I always leave my home trap on when I go out on trips like this but it's not often I fair better at home than out in interesting habitat with a group of others.  On this occasion with a slightly disappointing night out at Claxton I ended up doing rather better at home with a couple of decent moths here.  But I'll leave that for my next post...