Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 1: Plusias to Nut-tree Tussock

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE)


Spectacle Abrostola tripartita - Totals of 17 trapped here between 30th May and 29th August 2019 and 34 between 30th May and 22nd August 2020.  2019 was my worst year here since moving in (average 43 a year).  Elsewhere 4 at the meadows (from 25th May), one at Bintree Wood and 2 at Hellesdon.

Spectacle, North Elmham, 11th July 2020

Spectacle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Dark Spectacle Abrostola triplasia - One in the garden moth trap on 14th June 2020.  This was my 7th here since moving in in 2014 and 2019 was my first blank year.

Dark Spectacle, North Elmham, 14th June 2020

Dewick's Plusia Macdunnoughia confusa - None.  I've never trapped this species but it's becoming so well established in Norfolk, including in parts of mid Norfolk, that it surely can't be long before it arrives here.


Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis - Totals of 36 caught here between 18th June and 30th September 2019 and 19 between 21st May (my earliest ever) and 20th September 2020. The 2020 total was my worst in 6 years and both years were well below the average annual tally of 60.  Elsewhere 5 at the meadows, one at Whitwell Street and one at Hellesdon.

Burnished Brass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Burnished Brass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2020

Silver Y Autographa gamma - Totals of 17 trapped in the garden between 3rd June and 19th September 2019 and 25 between 2nd June and 26th September 2020.  My average annual tally here is 16 and 2020's total was my highest yet.  Elsewhere 5 at the meadows, one at Bintree Wood, one at Row Heath (West Runton), 2 on Mull and 4 in Cornwall.

Silver Y, North Elmham, 3rd June 2019

Silver Y, North Elmham, 6th August 2020

Beautiful Golden Y Autographa pulchrina - 5 caught at Carsaig (Mull) between 9th and 13th June 2019.  This species is quite irregular here - I caught one in 2015, 4 in 2016, none in 2017, one in 2018 and none again in 2019 or 2020.

Beautiful Golden Y, Carsaig (Mull), 9th June 2019

Beautiful Golden Y, Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019

Plain Golden Y Autographa pulchrina - None in 2019 but one in the garden moth trap on 4th July 2020.  I've only caught 3 of these at home before, in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

Plain Golden Y, North Elmham, 4th July 2020

Gold Spot Plusia festucae - One to LEDs at the meadows on 31st May 2019.  I've caught this species at home twice, in 2015 and 2016.  I've never seen Lenpke's Gold Spot, though I have seen a couple of individuals that experienced moth recorders assured me were this species (but which I was doubtful about and on dissection they proved to be Gold Spots).

Gold Spot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Marbled White Spot Deltote pygarga - 3 caught in the garden between 24th and 28th June 2019, the 3rd year out of 5 that I've caught 3 here - the other 2 years yielding 11 and 13.  None caught in the garden in 2020, my first blank year here, but singles at the meadows, Bintree Wood and Hills and Holes.

Marbled White Spot, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

Marbled White Spot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Silver Hook Deltote uncula - At least 2 seen by day at different points along the footpath from Carsaig to Rubha Dubh on Mull on 10th June (both in damp grassland immediately up from the beach).  None in 2020 - I've only ever seen one of these in Norfolk and it doesn't occur locally.

Silver Hooks, Carsaig to Rubha Dubh (Mull), 10th June

Nut-tree Tussock Colocasia coryli - In 2019, 5 caught here between 8th and 29th April then at least 22 between 12th July and 5th August (not counted on 4 dates but only singles on surrounding dates).  I averaged 55 per year over the previous 4 years - safe to say this was my worst year so far.  2020 was a bit better with 7 between 6th April and 18th May and 52 between 8th July and 6th August.  Elsewhere one at the meadows, 2 at Bintree Wood and 3 at Sculthorpe Moor.

Nut-tree Tussock, North Elmham, 8th April 2019

Nut-tree Tussock, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Next page: more Noctuidae

New beetle and bugs make up for unremarkable moths

After a decent afternoon at the meadows on 28th May I set the light at home as usual and drew in a selection of moths over the night.  There was nothing very unexpected but the following were new for the year: Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, 2 Buff Ermines, Large Yellow Underwing, Mottled Rustic and Marbled White Spot.

Crescnt Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 28th May

Buff Ermine, North Elmham, 28th May

Large Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 28th May

Mottled Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

Marbled White Spot, North Elmham, 28th May

Other moths trapped that night were Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 3 Common Swifts, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, Currant Pug, 6 Common Pugs, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Pale Oak Beauty, Engrailed, Privet Hawk-moth, 2 Eyed Hawk-moths, 2 White Ermines, 4 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Shears, 5 Common Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 2 Brown Rustics, 5 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Brown Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

The following night this Clouded Silver was the only new moth for the garden year-list.

Clouded Silver, North Elmham, 29th May

The other moths were Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Cream Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, 7 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Pale Tussocks, 3 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, 2 Common Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Brown Rustic, 3 Treble Lines, Silver Y and 2 Spectacles.

Caddisflies conisted of 7 Limnephilus auricula and, new for the year, 2 Limnephilus lunatus.

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 29th May

This beetle on the ground near the trap proved to be Nebria brevicollis.  When keying it out on first attempt I misinterpreted the degree of swelling on the mandibles and the length of the palps so keying it to Leistus sp.  The Leistus key led me to Leistus rufomarginatus and the insect certainly looked a lot like the one I'd identified as that a while back (13th May).  But I noticed the size was slightly out and I decided to go back through the genus key and double check, at which point I realised it was Nebria not Leistus.  In hindsight I think I probably made the same mistake with the one on 13th May, and that that was probably Nebria brevicollis too, though I shan't record it as I no longer have the specimen to check.

Nebria brevicollis, North Elmham, 29th May

I found a Treble Brown Spot in the hall the following day, a new one for the year, and a Diamond-back Plutella xylostella in the garden.

Treble Brown Spot, North Elmham, 30th May

In the trap that night were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Clouded Border, Marbled Brown and 3 Straw Dots, all new species for the year.

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 30th May

Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, North Elmham, 30th May

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham, 30th May

Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 30th May

Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 30th May

Straw Dot, North Elmham, 30th May

There was a good selection of other moths too: 7 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 4 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Mottled Pugs, Currant Pug, 2 Common Pugs, White-pinion Spotted, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Pale Tussocks, 2 White Ermines, 4 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Shears, Lychnis, 4 Common Wainscots, 4 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

There was a single beetle in the trap, a new species for me Dasytes aeratus.

Dasytes aeratus, North Elmham, 30th May

There was also a Hydropsyche pellucidula (caddisfly) and 2 Psallus sp. (mirid bugs) which at first I left unidentified.  Thanks to Tristan Bantock I have just accessed an excellent key that enables me to make more progress with these and I have been able to establish that they were different species, one Psallus varians and the other either Psallus perrisi or Psallus wagneri.  Both were females and the perrisi/wagneri pair need male genitalia to resolve to speices level (though I think perrisi is much more likely, and a male caught nearby a few days later was indeed this species).

Pasllus varians, North Elmham, 30th May

Pasllus perrisi or Psallus wagneri, North Elmham, 30th May

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