Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: smaller Black Arches, Silver-lines, Nycteoline and allies (Nolidae)

SMALLER BLACK ARCHES, SILVER-LINES, NYCTEOLINE and allies (NOLIDAE)


Kent Black Arches Meganola albula - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  I've not recorded this species locally but that's not very surprising as it's predominantly coastal in Norfolk (although there are widespread inland records so it wouldn't be altogether surprising to catch one here).

Kent Black Arches, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Short-cloaked Moth Nola cucullatella - Totals of 14 caught in my garden between 29th June and 17th July 2019 and 9 between 24th June and 11th July 2020.  2019 was my best year yet (average 9 a year).  4 on 8th July 2019 was my highest count so far and the one on 17th July my latest ever.  Elsewhere one at the meadows, one at Weybourne and 3 at Brancaster.

Short-cloaked Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Least Black Arches Nola confusalis - Singles at home on 21st and 27th May 2020 but none here in 2019.  I don't get many here - 2-3 a year is typical (8 in 2016) but 2019 was my first blank year.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 22nd April 2019, one on Mull on 13th June 2019 and one at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020.

Least Black Arches, North Elmham Cathedral Meaodws, 22nd April 2019

Least Black Arches, North Elmham, 27th May 2020

Scarce Silver-lines Bena bicolorana - None.  I caught 3 of these in my garden in July 2016 but haven't had any others in the 6 summers I've lived here.


Green Silver-lines Pseudoips prasinana - One caught in the garden on 23rd June 2019.  Hard to beat these - if you press me to tell you my favourite moth I may well give you this as my answer.  I don't get many here - none in 2018 or 2020 and only 9 here in 5 years.

Green Silver-lines, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana - One trapped in the garden on 24th July 2019 was only my 3rd record here.  Also found at the Cathedral Meadows on 22nd April and 26th July 2019 and my only record in 2020 was one at Cranwich Heath on 14th March.

Oak Nycteoline, North Elmham Cathedral Meaodws, 22nd April 2019

Oak Nycteoline, North Elmham, 24th July 2019

Oak Nycteoline, North Elmham Cathedral Meaodws, 26th July 2019

Oak Nycteoline, Cranwich Heath, 14th March 2020

Cream-bordered Green Pea Earias clorana - One in the garden trap on 31st July 2020 but 2019 was my first blank year here (though I never see more than 3 a year here).  Elsewehere one at the meadows on 25th May 2019 and 18th July 2020, one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019, one at Hellesdon on 14th July 2019 and one at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020 (my earliest ever). 

Cream-bordered Green Pea, North Elmham Cathedral Meaodws, 25th May 2019

Cream-bordered Green Pea, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Cream-bordered Green Pea, North Elmham Cathedral Meaodws, 18th July 2020

Eight new for the year

Monday night lived up to expectations producing no less than 7 new moths for the year.  They were Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Flame Carpet, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Red-green Carpet, Foxglove Pug, 2 Waved Umbers and Least Black Arches.  The Foxglove Pug wasn't seen well but here are the others:

(**Edit 2018 - just noticed my photo of a "Large Twin-spot Carpet" (below) is surely a Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet.   Oops!)

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 4th May

Large Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 4th May

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham, 4th May

Waved Umbers, North Elmham, 4th May

Least Black Arches, North Elmham, 4th May

Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, North Elmham, 4th May

It total 16 species of moths, the best in a while and I think the best this year.  Others were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Brindled Pug, 2 Purple Thorns, Brindled Beauty, 2 Muslin Moths, Hebrew Character and Early Grey.

Last night lived up to expectations too, but given the strength of the wind my expectations were that there wouldn't be a lot in the trap.  In fact there was just a single moth in the trap, but that was one I was hoping for - one that I only used to see occasionally at Bawdeswell but which Dave's been getting quite a few of this year: Frosted Green.

Frosted Green, North Elmham, 5th May

Elshewhere 2 Cinnabars at Burnham Overy on Monday but butterflies were better including my first Wall Brown of the year and 4 Small Coppers.