Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 2: Daggers, Small Yellow Underwing and Sharks

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE)


Reed Dagger Simyra albovenosa - None.  I've not recorded this species locally and I'm well away from the strongholds for this species so haven't really been expecting to.  However there have been a couple of records just down the road at Worthing so maybe there's a chance I will find it round here.


Alder Moth Acronicta alni - None.  I seem to be a bit unlucky with this species as I've only ever seen 2, and they weren't local.  It's common enough and is known to occur locally, so surely I'll find one locally some day.


Dark Dagger Acronicta tridens - None.  I've caught 2 here, in 2016 and 2017, but this seems to be very much scarcer than Grey Dagger.  I've gen detted some reasonable candidates for Dark Dagger that have turned out to be Grey.


Grey Dagger Acronicta psi - Having averaged 7 a year here over the previous 4 years it was a disappointment not to catch any in 2019.  2020 was a bit better with 4 between 1st and 12th August; also one at the meadows on 18th July.

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 8th August 2020

female Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 12th August 2020

Sycamore Acronicta aceris - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and one at the meadows on 7th July.   None at home, and none anywhere in 2020.  I've only ever caught this species at home 3 times, all in 2015.

Sycamore, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Miller Acronicta leporina - None.  I've caught these at home on 3 occasions (2015, 2016 and 2018).


Light Knot Grass Acronicta menyanthidis - One came straight in to the LED lights as soon as I put them on at Allt Mollach on Mull on 13th June 2019.  This was a lifer for me - the species that has an extremely restricted range within Norfolk (but is much commoner in Scotland).  Scottish specimens like this are of a paler subspecies than the ones that occur here in Norfolk.

Light Knot Grass, Allt Molach (Mull), 13th June 2019

Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis - One in the garden trap on 20th July 2019 and 5 here between 21st July and 13th August 2020.  I've recorded this species here each year since moving in but I'd not had more than 4 in a year before.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 22nd August 2019 and 18th July and 7th August 2020. 

Knot Grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Knot Grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2020

Knot Grass, North Elmham, 13th August 2020

Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala - One in the garden trap on 2nd May 2019 was my earliest ever record.  That was the only one I caught at home that year and in 2020 I had 2, on 28th May and 14th June.  I had 16 in 2016 but that was exceptional - I've had 0-2 in every other year.  Elsewhere 4 at the meadows between 17th May and 18th July and one at Bintree Wood.  Although some examples are obvious I don't always find the identification of this species as easy as some recorders seem to - some examples of both Poplar Grey and Sycamore show reasonably prominent pale dorsal spots at the end of the cross-line such that there is overlap with Knot Grass in this character, and other characters seem to be quite variable and/or unclear.  With a few individuals I resort to dissection to satisfy myself the ID is correct, and although they now usually end up being what I thought they were, this wasn't always the case when I started doing this.

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 2nd May 2019

Poplar Grey, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Poplar Grey, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

male Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Coronet Craniophora ligustri - None in 2019 but 4 caught in the garden between 6th and 15th August 2020.  Annual totals vary from 0-5 here.

Coronet, North Elmham, 6th August 2020

Small Yellow Underwing Panemeria tenebrata - A total of 8 at the meadows between 15th and 25th May 2019 (on 4 dates).  This was the second consecutive year they were found here in reasonable numbers (2018 was the first year the site was surveyed) but none were found in 2020.  Most were, as you would expect for a day-flying species, seen during the day but one was found by torchlight roosting on a leaf of the Apple tree.

Small Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2019

Small Yellow Underwings, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019

Shark Cucullia umbratica - None.  I've not yet found this species locally but it has been recorded in my road before so it's surely only a matter of time.


Chamomile Shark Cucullia chamomillae - None.  This must be one of the most common and widespread moths that I've never seen.  Hopefully I'll catch one someday and there's no reason why it shouldn't be local.


Mullein Cucullia verbasci - One caught in the garden on 23rd April 2020, my fifth here (the others all in 2016-17).  Otherwise only larvae seen, but these were easy to find on the Mullein plants along the railway at the meadows - up to 20 between 21st May and 21st June 2019 and up to 18 between 15th May and 26th June 2020 (when there was also 2-3 on a solitary plant at the chapel).  Covid may have helped this species in 2020 as the railway company usually spray the railway every year, completely destroying the Mullein before it flowers and while many of the caterpillars are still feeding.  Presumably the caterpillars are destroyed along with plants.  There was no spraying in 2020 though the company are apparently wanting to spray much earlier in 2021.

Mullein caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2019

Mullein caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019

Mullein caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019

Mullein caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Mullein, North Elmham, 23rd April 2020

Next page: more Noctuidae

First moth-trapping at the meadows

I returned to the Cathedral Meadows early on 4th.  I found six species of moths on the wing: Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericiella, Common Thorn Midget Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae, 6 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, 4 Horse Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella and Vetch Piercer Grapholita jungiella.

Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Vetch Piercer Grapholita jungiella, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericiella, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

A variety of other things noted including Muntjac, Large Red Damselfly, Orange-tip, Hemerobius lutescens (a brown lacewing), 3 species of hoverfly (Melanostoma scalares, Syrphus ribesii and one that keys out as Eristalis tenax, looks very much like Eristalis tenax, but lacks any of the 3 characteristics listed in the guide for that species - not sure where I went wrong there or what else it might be!).  Also Small Black Ant Lasius niger, Garden Bumblebee and Common Carder Bees, Kentish Snail and a lifer for me in abundance running through the leaf-litter, Common Fox-spider Alopecosa pulverulenta.

Common Fox-spider Alopecosa pulverulenta, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Garden Bumblebee, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Does anyone know if the species of Oak Gall Wasp can be identified from these galls?

Oak galls, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Back at home a beetle dropped onto my outside window sill next to where I was sitting, so I duly potted it up for examination.  It proved to be my first Onthophagus similis.

Onthophagus similis, North Elmham, 4th May

With cloud forecast from before dusk after a warm sunny day I thought tonight would be a good one to have my first moth trapping session at the meadows.  By the time dusk came the arrival time of the cloud had pushed back to just after dusk, but it was still warm as it got dark and there wasn't much wind, so it promised good.  Sadly the cloud never arrived, at least not before half past midnight, and temperatures soon dropped resulting in a poorer catch than hoped - but not at all bad considering.

The first moth in was this Lunar Marbled Brown - a nice way to begin.

Lunar Marbled Brown, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

One of the next up was this Knot Grass, a species I never used to encounter before I moved to North Elmham in 2014.  I see them every year now but still good to get so soon.

Knot Grass, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Also among the first 5 moths to arrive was this Powdered Quaker, my first this year as I don't get many at home (and never seem to get them for a while after others are reporting them).

Powdered Quaker, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

By now things were really slow, but in the end I did notch up a semi-respectable (given the lack of warmth) 20 species, the others being: Common Oak Purple Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Parornix sp., Pebble Hook-tip, Frosted Green, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Water Carpet, Small Phoenix, 2 Brindled Pugs, White-pinion Spotted, Iron Prominent, 2 Pebble Prominents, Red Chestnut, 3 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 2 Hebrew Characters, Angle Shades and 3 Nut-tree Tussocks.

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Pebble Hook-tip, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

White-pinion Spotted, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Pebble Prominent, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Red Chestnut, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Nut-tree Tussock, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

There were also 2 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus (caddisflies) and 2 Black Sexton Beetles.  Nearby there were a couple of White-legged Snake Millipedes and a Common Striped Woodlouse among lots of Common Rough Woodlice.

Black Sexton Beetle, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

Common Rough Woodlouse, Cathedral Meadows, 4th May

I didn't catch much at home that night, though Red Twin-spot Carpet was new for the year here.  The rest were Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 3 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Swallow Prominent, Muslin Moth and Hebrew Character (also Common Wasp).

Natterjacks, a new weevil and a rainbow halo

A birding trip to Burnham Overy on 1st May didn't produce many moths - just 2 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella and a Cinnabar, though there was a caterpillar which I haven't yet been able to put a name to (maybe Garden Tiger but it doesn't look quite right to me).  Also Red Admiral, Small Copper and this Natterjack Toad.

Natterjack Toad, Burnham Overy Dunes, 1st May

unidentified caterpillar (possibly Garden Tiger?), Burnham Overy Dunes, 1st May

There was also a Limnephilus auricula (caddisfly) at Holkham.  Not many moths at home again that night but there were two new for the year: Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella and Knot Grass. The others were Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Waved Umber, Muslin Moth and 3 Hebrew Characters.

Knot Grass, North Elmham, 1st May

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st May

This weevil was on my front door (inside) in the morning - although I can't find any definitive statement that the dark line down the join of the elytra is a reliable identifier, all the images I've checked of other Strophosoma and similar species seem to lack it whereas it is apparently characteristic of Nut Leaf Weevil Strophosoma melanogrammum - a new species for me.

Strophosoma melanogrammum, North Elmham, 2nd May

Next day I returned to Burnham Overy where I saw another Natterjack in the dunes, and a Stoat.  Moths included Plain Fanner Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Dusky Groundling Aroga velocella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana and 3 Cinnabars. There were 2 Small Coppers and the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus.

Natterjack Toad, Burnham Overy Dunes, 2nd May

Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Burnham Overy Dunes, 2nd May

The most impressive natural phenonemon though was this 'glory' - a rainbow halo around my shadow as I walked down the seawall early in the morning.  I think it's also known as Brocken Spectre, though I'm not sure if that's exactly the same thing or not - more often seen in mountains apparently, though I suspect that has something to do with the way the shadow is thrown down a hillside which was sort-of the case here as I was on top of the seawall.

'Glory' or Brocken Spectre, Burnham Overy Dunes, 2nd May

Moths at home that night were Swallow Prominent, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, Clouded Drab and 4 Hebrew Characters, the White Ermine being new for the year.

White Ermine, North Elmham, 2nd May

The following night Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella and Red Twin-spot Carpet were new for the year.  There was also Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock and 4 Hebrew Characters, plus the caddisfly Glyphotaelius pellucidus and a Black Sexton Beetle.

Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, North Elmham, 3rd May

Red Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 3rd May

The following night Scalloped Hazel was new for the year.  Other moths were 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Brindled Pug, Brimstone Moth, Swallow Prominent, Muslin Moth and 4 Hebrew Characters. Also the caddisfly Limnophilus sparsus and another Black Sexton Beetle.

Scalloped Hazel, North Elmham, 4th May