Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 11: Lacanobia Brocades to Hadena Coronets

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE) (continued)


Light Brocade Lacanobia w-latinum - None.  I caught 10 here between 2015 and 2017 but that's 3 consecutive years now without catching any here.


Pale-shouldered Brocade Lacanobia thalassina - 2 worn individuals at Carsaig (Mull) on 11th and 13th June 2019 but none at home in either year.  As with the previous species that's now 3 consecutive blank years here, after 5 caught between 2015 and 2017.

Pale-shouldered Brocade, Carsaig (Mull), 11th June 2019

Pale-shouldered Brocade, Carsaig (Mull), 13th June 2019

Dog's Tooth Lacanobia suasa - None.  I've never caught this species locally but there are a few records in mid Norfolk so I may get it round here sometime.


Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea - Totals of 21 in the garden between 16th May and 1st August 2019 and 16 between 3rd June and 23rd July 2020 - my worst years so far (average annual total over 6 years is 39).  Elsewhere one next door, 3 at the meadows, one at Bintree Wood, 4 at Hellesdon and one at Brancaster.

Bright-line Brown-eye, North Elmham, 16th May 2019

Bright-line Brown-eye, North Elmham, 4th June 2020

Dot Moth Melanchra persicariae - Just a single record each year in the garden, on 7th July 2019 and 26th June 2020.  I've never come so close to a nil return before - I only caught 3 in 2017 but in other years I've had between 14 and 28.  Elsewhere one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.

Dot Moth, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

Broom Moth Ceramica pisi - 6 on Mull including 4 from 9th to 12th June 2019 at our accommodation at Carsaig and 2 at other sites on 13th June. That doubled the total number I've ever seen.  In Norfolk this species seems to be commonest in the Brecks and I've not recorded it locally - however there are quite a few records from the other moth-trapper in my road (none very recent) so I hope to get it here eventually.  None in 2020.

Broom Moth, Carsaig (Mull), 9th June 2019

Broom Moth, Carsaig (Mull), 11th June 2019

Shears Hada plebeja - 5 in the garden between 20th May and 7th June 2019 - my worst year here so far (but I was away for a week during their flight period) - and 9 between 20th May and 14th June 2020.  I average 11 a year here.  Elsewhere singles at Carsaig (Mull) on 10th and 11th June 2019.

Shears, North Elmham, 20th May 2019

Shears, Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019

Shears, Carsaig (Mull), 11th June 2019

Shears, North Elmham, 20th May 2020

Cabbage Moth Mamestra brassicae - 4 caught here between 12th August and 3rd September 2019 but none here (or anywhere) in 2020.  4-6 a year here is normal though I had a blank year for them before, in 2017.  Elsewhere in 2019, 2 next door and one at Weybourne on 5th July.


Campion Sideridis rivularis - Singles trapped in the garden on 10th and 23rd August 2019 and 8th and 14th July 2020.  I didn't catch any here in 2014-2016 but have had 1-2 each year since.

Campion, North Elmham, 10th August 2019

Campion, North Elmham, 8th July 2020

Broad-barred White Hecatera bicolorata - One in the garden moth trap on 9th August 2020, the first I've seen since I caught one here in 2015.  They're quite lovely...

Broad-barred White, North Elmham, 9th August 2020

Small Ranunculus Hecatera dysodea - None.  I've never seen this species; it's a recent re-colonist in Norfolk but until the last year or two nearly all the records were from the Norwich area.  A few very recent records from other parts of Norfolk suggest that it might be spreading but so far there haven't been any round here.


Lychnis Hadena bicruris - An unexpected blank year here in 2019 followed by 6 between 21st May and 17th August 2020.  I had never had less than 4 in a year here before and I caught 27 here in 2015, so 2019's nil return came as a surprise.  However they were out locally - I caught one at the meadows and one next door.  Another at the meadows in 2020 and one at Carsaig (Mull) in June 2019.

Lychnis, Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019

Lychnis, North Elmham, 21st May 2020

Lychnis, North Elmham, 11th July 2020

Varied Coronet Hadena compta - None.  After 2 here in 2015 I hoped the species would prove regular here, but I haven't seen one here (or anywhere) since.


Marbled Coronet Hadena confusa - One in the garden on 29th June 2019.  This was my second record here following one in 2016.  This species is generally very scarce in Norfolk away from the north coast.

Marbled Coronet, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

Tawny Shears Hadena perplexa - None.  I've only ever seen one of these and never any locally.  They're much less common round here than they are along the north coast but not so rare that I might not catch one here someday.


Next page: more Noctuidae

Another new Stigmella

An Anthrenus fuscus in the house was new for the year on Monday 21st.  These mascarade as Varied Carpet Beetles Anthenus verbasci but there are quite a few differences when you look closely (such as the blacker scales and the very different structure of the antennae).

Anthrenus fuscus, North Elmham, 21st May

The highlight from the moth trap that night was a Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella.  Although common, like most Stigmella speices they are mostly recorded as leafmines and adults are rarely reported.  This was my first, keyed out accurately using the excellent Kleine Vlinders key and confirmed with gen det.

Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st May

Also new for the year were Fen Flat-body Depressaria ultimella, Scorched Carpet and 2 Treble Lines, plus the caddisfly Cyrnus trimaculatus.  Other moths were Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Grey Pine Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, Waved Umber, Coxcomb Prominent, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, 2 White Ermines, Heart and Dart and 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts.

Fen Flat-body Depressaria ultimella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st May

Scorched Carpet, North Elmham, 21st May

Treble Lines, North Elmham, 21st May

Cyrnus trimaculatus (female), North Elmham, 21st May

The following evening looked a bit better for moths so I headed down to the meadows and set up two lights.  No sooner had I got the second one on and the generator packed up as it had run out of oil. I didn't have any spare oil so that was the end of that.  In the short time the first light had been on it had caught a Common Swift, new for the site, and I also added Common Toad to the site's amphibian list. 

Common Swift, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May

It was a reasonably good night at home with 4 new moths for the garden year-list: Privet Hawk-moth, Lychnis, White-point and Common Wainscot. Also Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Common Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Brimstone Moth, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, Muslin Moth, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Early Grey, 2 Treble Lines and the caddisfly Limnephilus auricula.

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 22nd May

Lychnis, North Elmham, 22nd May

White-point, North Elmham, 22nd May

Common Wainscot, North Elmham, 22nd May

There wasn't a vast number of moths in the trap the following night but Turnip Moth and Shears were new for the year, and a Flame Carpet was a much finer specimen than the one last week.

Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 23rd May

Shears, North Elmham, 23rd May

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd May

Also that night were White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella (indoors), Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 3 Brimstone Moths, 2 White Ermines, 2 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Bedstraw bonanza

Dave and I headed up to the dunes in the afternoon of 29th May.  We saw a variety of moths in the west of the dunes including Plain Fanner Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 10 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Woodland Marble Orthotaenia undulana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Silver-ground Carpet, Yellow Shell, Purple Bar, Yellow Belle, 3 Cinnabars, Straw Dot and Snout. Also the green Lacewing Chrysopa commata and both Bee Orchid and Pyramidal Orchids starting to flower.

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), Burnham Overy, 29th May

In the east dunes we found Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus, 2 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Beautiful Groundling Caryocolum marmorea, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Common Carpet, 2 Purple Bars, 3 Green Carpets and 2 Cinnabars.

Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus, Burnham Overy, 29th May

In Holkham Pines we found London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Green Carpets, Scorched Carpet, 3 Brown Silver-lines and Straw Dot.

I'm not allowed to say where we went to look for Bedstraw Hawk-moths, but after finding a Hummingbird Hawk-moth feeding on honeysuckle we decided this would be a good spot to look for other hawkmoths.  Indeed it proved as before long we found ourselves watching the target Bedstraw Hawk-moth - and then a second and then a third!  The area was also visited by a Small Elephant Hawk-moth briefly.  Fabulous!  Later on 3 White Ermines rounded off the evening's mothing.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth, 29th May

Bedstraw Hawk-moths, 29th May

Moth of the night at home was Treble-spot Tubic Telechrysis tripuncta, my first here and one that's only been recorded in the county about 20 times.

Treble-spot Tubic Telechrysis tripuncta, North Elmham, 29th May

Other additions to the garden year list were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Treble Brown Spot, Green Pug, 2 Willow Beauties, Elephant Hawk-moth, Lychnis, Small Angle Shades and Marbled White Spot.

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 29th May

Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 29th May

Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteucha culmella, North Elmham, 29th May

Treble Brown Spot, North Elmham, 29th May

Green Pug, North Elmham, 29th May

Willow Beauty, North Elmham, 29th May

Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 29th May

Lychnis, North Elmham, 29th May

Small Angle Shades, North Elmham, 29th May

Marbled White Spot, North Elmham, 29th May

A total of 36 Treble Lines was more than double my previous highest count.  Other moths trapped were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 2 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 4 Common Swifts, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Spruce Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, May Highflyer, Sandy Carpet, 3 Mottled Pugs, Currant Pug, 8 Common Pugs, Oak-tree Pug, 3 Scorched Wings, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Peppered Moth, Common White Wave, 5 Light Emeralds, 2 Pale Tussocks, 3 Orange Footmen, 3 White Ermines, Heart and Dart, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shears, Common Wainscot, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 3 Brown Rustics, Marbled Minor, 2 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle and 9 Straw Dots.  Caddisflies were Hydropsyche pellucidula, Glyphotaelius pellucidus and 2 Limnephilus auricula.

Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 29th May

Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 29th May

May Highflyer, North Elmham, 29th May