Review of 2019 and 2020 - Brown Lacewings (Hemerobiidae) and Sponge Flies (Sisyridae)

BROWN LACEWINGS (HEMEROBIIDAE)


Hemerobius humulinus - 10 recorded in my garden in 2019, exactly the same number that I recorded in 2018 and slightly more than in 2017.  The first on 7th April was found on my patio doors (not attracted to indoor lights as they hadn't been on) and the rest were in the moth trap between 28th June and 7th September.  The early one was much more strongly marked than the others.  A poor year in 2020 produced 3 here between 4th and 21st August and one at the meadows on 16th September.

Hemerobius humulinus, North Elmham, 7th April 2019

Hemerobius humulinus, North Elmham, 28th June 2019

Hemerobius humulinus, North Elmham, 4th August 2020

Hemerobius humulinus, North Elmham, 12th August 2020

Hemerobius humulinus, North Elmham, 21st August 2020

Hemerobius humulinus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th September 2020

Hemerobius lutescens - Singles at the meadows on 21st and 25th May 2019 then 11 recorded at home (mostly in the garden moth trap) between 25th May and 29th September.  A poor showing compared to 2018 when I recorded 38 here.  2020 was a little better with 18 in the garden moth trap between 31st July and 22nd September.  I think 3 larvae found on a gatepost at the meadows on 12th October 2019 may have been this species but I am not certain.

Hemerobius lutesecens, North Elmham, 25th May 2019

Hemerobius lutesecens, North Elmham, 10th August 2019

possible Hemerobius lutesecens larva, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th October 2019

Hemerobius lutesecens, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Hemerobius lutesecens, North Elmham, 14th August 2020

Hemerobius lutesecens, North Elmham, 19th August 2020

Hemerobius marginatus - None.  I've never seen this species and it doesn't seem to be very common in Norfolk, but I've found rarer species so must be in with at least half a chance of finding this one.


Hemerobius micans - Caught in the garden moth trap on 26th July 2019 and 11th June and 22nd August 2020.  This species is normally scarcer here than the previous two species.  Elsewhere netted at the meadows on 22nd May 2019 and 28th September 2020.

Hemerobius micans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019

Hemerobius micans, North Elmham, 26th July 2019

Hemerobius micans, North Elmham, 11th June 2020

Hemerobius micans, North Elmham, 27th August 2020

Hemerobius micans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th September 2020

Hemerobius nitidulus - None.  I caught one in my garden in August 2018 but it's a species with only a handful of records in Norfolk.


Hemerobius pini - I found my first of these along a forest path near Salen on Mull on 12th June 2019.  There is, or at least in 2016 there was, only a single record of this species in Norfolk.

Hemerobius pini, south of Salen, 12th June 2019

Hemerobius stigma - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 was only my second example of this species following one in my garden the previous August.  None here in 2019 but individuals caught in the moth trap on 30th and 31st August 2020.

Hemerobius stigma, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Hemerobius stigma, North Elmham, 30th August 2020

Hemerobius stigma, North Elmham, 31st August 2020

Micromus paganus - None.  I caught 2 of these at different sites in 2016 but haven't had any since.  This is one I ought to find more often.


Micromus variegatus - A total of 33 recorded in my garden moth trap between 11th July and 3rd September 2019.  These included an impressive count of 15 on what was an excellent night for green lacewings, but not for other brown lacewings, 25th July.  Even with this good night, the total was lower than in 2018 when I caught 55 at home.  Given those numbers it was disappointing to only catch 6 in 2020, between 8th July and 15th August.  Elsewhere 3 next door and one at Swanton Great Wood, all in August 2019.  I used to think this was the easiest of the common brown lacewings to identify and began to identify them in the field without taking them in for closer examination, but then I discovered some photos of Psectra diptera online which look extremely similar (e.g. on NatureSpot which is usually quite a reliable site for IDs) - so now I'm back to examining them all carefully.

Micromus variegatus, North Elmham, 8th July 2020

Psectra diptera - None.  I've never seen this sepcies but it sounds like it might be reasonably common, just not found by the sort of approaches I usually employ (like light trapping).


Sympherobius fuscescens - None.  I've never seen this species but although it's relatively scarce there are a handful of Norfolk records so must be a possibility.


Sympherobius pellucidus - A male in my garden moth trap on 29th May 2019 was the first record for Norfolk.

Sympherobius pellucidus, North Elmham, 29th May (showing forewing in second and third photos and the partially cleared tip of the abdomen in the last photo)

Sympherobius pygmaeus - None.  I caught one here in 2018 but it's rarely recorded in Norfolk (2 records prior to 2016) - not sure if mine was the third or not.


Wesmaelius concinnus - None.  I've never found this species but there are a handful of records in Norfolk.


Wesmaelius nervosus - Singles caught in my garden moth trap on 24th July 2019 and 18th July and 16th September 2020.  Also one to light at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.  I'd only recorded one here before, in 2018. 

Wesmaelius nervosus, North Elmham, 24th July 2019

Wesmaelius nervosus, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Wesmaelius nervosus, North Elmham, 18th July 2020 (showing tip of abdomen)

Wesmaelius nervosus, North Elmham, 16th September 2020 (showing tip of abdomen)

Wesmaelius subnebulosus - None.  I've only caught this species here once, in 2017.  Sounds like this species tends to crop up more in more urban situations.



This larva is completely unidentified - I guess it's most likely one of the Brown Lacewings but if anyone can help narrow it down please shout.

unidentified (?Brown) lacewing larva, Titchwell, 1st June 2019

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SPONGE FLIES (SISYRIDAE)


Sisyra fuscata - Singles caught in my garden moth trap on 11th and 24th July 2019 and then on 4 dates between 17th July and 7th August 2020.  I have previously caught this species here in June 2017 and July 2018.  I think this is the only species of Sponge Fly to have been recorded in Norfolk (it is also known as Sisyra nigra).

male Sisyra fuscata, North Elmham, 24th July 2019

female Sisyra fuscata, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

male Sisyra fuscata, North Elmham, 23rd July 2020

Return to Lacewings index here

A good new moth overshadowed by a first for Norfolk

If Frost's Common didn't quite live up to expectations on Tuesday 22nd August, the garden moth trap certainly did.  A haul of 165 moths of 61 species wasn't at all bad for the second half of August and there were a couple of noteworthy species among them.  By far the best was this Dark Smudge Ypsolopha horridella, a new moth for me and also just the 7th record for Norfolk.

Dark Smudge Ypsolopha horridella, North Elmham, 22nd August

This Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana was new for the year.

Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana, North Elmham, 22nd August

The other moths were White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, 6 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 4 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 2 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 25 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 3 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Garden Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, Common Marbled Carpet, 6 Green Carpets, Sharp-angled Carpet, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 11 Brimstone Moths, Common White Wave, 2 Common Waves, 5 Light Emeralds, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 6 Flame Shoulders, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, 2 Six-striped Rustics, Square-spot Rustic, 6 Common Wainscots, Mouse Moth, 6 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, 3 Vine's Rustics, 3 Straw Dots and 5 Snouts.

So the moths were good, but the real highlight wasn't a moth but a waxfly, tiny relatives of lacewings covered in powdery white scales.  Several species of waxfly can't be identified if they are females and when I keyed this one out the other day I looked at its abdomen and sexed it as a female.  At this point I nearly threw it away thinking it would not be possible to determine it, but at the last minute I decided to macerate its abdomen to get a better look just in case I was mistaken.  What a good job I did, as it was in fact a male, and thus identifiable by examining its genitalia... and they proved that it was Semidalis pseudouncinata.  Not only a new species for me, but a new species for Norfolk!  This is a relatively new species in Britain, until recently only known from the south-east, but was considered likely to expand its range into other parts and I gather it has now been found just over the border at Santon Downham.

Semidalis pseudouncinata, North Elmham, 22nd August

I have caught just 5 waxflies at home this year.  Three were Conwentzia sp. that could not be identified to species as they were females and the two males that could be fully identified were both new species for Norfolk (here is a link to my account of the other, Coniopteryx esbenpeterseni).

Other lacewings that night were Chrysoperla carnea, Cunctochrysa albolineata, Nineta vittata and Hemerobius lutescens, the last being new for the year.

Hemerobius lutescens, North Elmham, 22nd August

A Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum was the only mayfly and the best caddisfly was another Small Silver Sedge Lepidostoma hirtum - recorded now on three consecutive nights.  Other caddisflies were Hydropsyche siltalai, 5 Hydropsyche pellucidula and Limnephilus lunatus and there were 2 Forest Bugs and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis.

The best of the beetles was my first ever Amara bifrons.  Others were Bradycellus verbasci, 3 Aphodius rufipes, Stenagostus rhombeus and Harlequin Ladybird.

Amara bifrons, North Elmham, 22nd August

A good mimic

Last Thursday I went for a walk with Vitty at Kelling Heath.  I was hoping to find some moths, especially Eriocrania as I know there are a number of those occurring there.  Not successful in that respect - just found 2 Feathered Brights Incurvaria masculella, 3 Green Long-horns Adela reaumurella and 5 Grey Gorse Piercers Cydia ulicetana. A few butterflies included a nice Green Hairstreak.

We also went to East Ruston Old Vicarage gardens.  Wasn't expecting anything in particular there but found Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella and Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana. Also my first Speckled Wood of the year among the butterflies.  The caddisfly Limnephilus auricula was resting on my car as we returned to the car park.

Green Longhorn Adela reaumurella, East Ruston Old Vicarage gardens, 12th May

Speckled Wood, East Ruston Old Vicarage gardens, 12th May

The moth catch at home that night included 3 new for the year: Garden Carpet, Oak-tree Pug and Marbled Brown.

Garden Carpet, North Elmham, 12th May

Oak-tree Pug, North Elmham, 12th May

Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 12th May

Also Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Streamers, Common Pug, 4 Muslin Moths, Least Black Arches, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Powdered Quaker and 4 Hebrew Characters.  Caddisflies consisted of Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus auricula.

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 12th May

Next day was poor for moths, though Brimstone Moth was new for the year.  Just Shuttle-shaped Dart and 4 Hebrew Characters.

Brimstone Moth, North Elmham, 13th May

Saturday was no better: Muslin Moth, 2 Hebrew Characters and the caddisfly Limnephilus auricula.

On Sunday I took advantage of some bright weather to pop to the local patch where the birding was poor, the mothing was non-existant but I fared much better with other insects along one small stretch of hedgerow.  First up were a couple of Common Carder Bees, one of them in particular almost glowing orange on its thorax.

Common Carder Bee, Bittering, 15th May

Next up was a hoverfly that looked distinctly similar to the Carder Bees (a mimic, so no coincidence).  A large and distinctive hoverfly with bright orange hairs on the thorax, I was pretty sure it was a species I hadn't identified before.  So it proved, it was Criorhina berberina.

Criorhina berberina, Bittering, 15th May

Sat on the same leaf was a pale lacewing, the first of at least half a dozen in the area.  I retained two slightly different-looking examples for checking and both turned out to be Hemerobius lutescens, a new species for me.

Brown Lacewings Hemerobius lutescens, Bittering, 15th May

One more hoverfly proved to be one I had seen before: Helophilus pendulus.

Helophilus pendulus, Bittering, 15th May

Best of the moths that night was a Small Phoenix, my first here.

Small Phoenix, North Elmham, 15th May

Other moths were Garden Carpet, Streamer, Brimstone Moth, Chocolate-tip, 3 Cinnabars, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Powdered Quaker and Hebrew Character.  Limnephilus auricula was the only caddisfly.

I thought this small beetle was a weevil at first but it turns out to be a non-weevil Salpingus ruficollis, the first one I've identified.

Salpingus ruficollis, North Elmham, 15th May