Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: White Bent-wings (Opostegidae), Lifts (Heliozelidae) and Long-horns (Adelidae)

WHITE BENT-WINGS (OPOSTEGIDAE)

(I'm not sure if English names have been allocated to some of the micro families so apologies if they have and I've made up the wrong ones...)


Sorrel Bent-wing Opostega salaciella - singles in my garden on 16th and 23rd July 2019 and one on 30th June 2020.  I'd only recorded 2 here before (2016 and 2017).  Also found at the meadows on 6th and 23rd June 2019 and 9th June 2020.  Elsewhere 4 together at dusk at Pennyghael on Mull on 13th June 2019.

Sorrel Bent-wing Opostega salaciella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019

Mint Bent-wing Pseudopostega crepusculella - None.  I've only seen this species once before and never locally.

-----------------------------------

LIFTS (HELIOZELIDAE)


Four-spot Lift Antispila metallella - None.  I've never seen this species but although it's described as rare there are quite a few records in Norfolk, and there's plenty of Dogwood (its foodplant) at the meadows.


Yellow-spot Lift Antispila petryi - None.  Another Dogwood feeder I've never seen but that could potentially occur locally.


Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericella - Seen at the meadows on 20th (2) and 30th April 2019. The only species of this family that I have found as adults anywhere so far, and I've not recorded it at home yet.  I usually find this species during the day flying around underneath Oak trees, sometimes in good numbers, but didn't find any in 2020.

Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th April 2019

Alder Lift Heliozela resplendella - None.  I've only seen mines of this species but there's plenty of Alder in the area so hopefully I'll find adults locally at some point.

-----------------------------------

LONG-HORNS (ADELIDAE)


Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella - 1-2 at the meadows on 3 dates between 6th and 21st June 2019 and on 3rd and 20th June 2020.  I've not recorded this common day-flying species in my garden yet. This is the only Nemophora I've seen - none of the other 4 Norfolk species are particularly common (except perhaps metallica in the Brecks) but any of them could conceivably turn up locally.

Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019

Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th June 2020

Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella - At least 5 lekking on Dogwood along the disused railway at the meadows on 26th April 2019, with fewer there still on 2nd May.  Recorded at the meadows on 4 dates in 2020 between 24th April and 15th May including at least 12 lekking on 12th May.  Another common day-flying moth that is missing from my garden list.

Green Long-horns Adela reaumurella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th April 2019

Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2019

Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th May 2020

Early Long-horn Adela cuprella - None.  I've seen this species at Bittering so it's not far away, and there is suitable foodplant round here so I wouldn't be surprised to find it at the meadows.


Small Barred Long-horn Adela croesella - None.  I'm yet to find this species locally but there's no reason why it shouldn't occur round here.


Little Long-horn Cauchas fibulella - None.  Another one I've not seen locally but could potentially occur round here.


Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella - 3 at the meadows on 15th May and 5 on 25th May 2019.  Of the 5 one was on Garlic Mustard as you'd expect but the other 4 were on Wintercress which isn't listed as a larval foodplant for this species.  However, there is Garlic Mustard and Cuckoo-flower growing in the vicinity, both of which are foodplants, so they the larvae may have come from those.  None of the other Cauchas species recorded in 2019.  None seen in 2020 and not yet recorded at home.

Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus - None.  I found this species at my previous house in Bawdeswell but I'm yet to record it in North Elmham.  It appears to be the scarcest of the 3 similar species in Norfolk.


Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella - One in the garden moth trap on 21st June 2020, my first here since 2017 (3 previous records, 2 in 2015 and the one in 2017).   At the meadows 2 on 31st May 2019 and singles on 17th May and 18th June 2020.

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella - One with a broken antenna in my garden moth trap on 2nd June 2019 was only my second here (following one in 2017).  None elsewhere this year and none anywhere in 2020.

Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, North Elmham, 2nd June 2019

Next page: Incurvariidae plus

Derby Fen

I was supposed to be 'in charge' at the Norfolk Moth Survey event at Derby Fen as none of the usual suspects could make it that night (9th June).  I'd not been there before so Dave and I arrived early and had a wander round. We managed to find a good range of moths in the lower parts of the fen including my first ever confirmed Marsh Pug, a Hawthorn Bent-wing Bucculatrix bechsteinella and a variety of the commoner Coleophora species.  We also found Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella to be abundant here, a species I’ve only previously seen in those sorts of numbers in the Brecks.

Marsh Pug, Derby Fen, 9th June

We were then joined by Tony and Garry and set up light traps. What may perhaps have been the best area to set them was too far to lug all the equipment, although Tony did manage to get his smaller trap down as far as a patch of Bog Myrtle. I was hoping we might find a Light Knot Grass there, but no such luck – but between us we did trap a nice variety of species including a few decent ones like Wood Carpet and Sloe Pug (both lifers for me).

Wood Carpet, Derby Fen, 9th June

Sloe Pug (male, gen det), Derby Fen, 9th June

We were surprised to find a Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii, but it seems like it was a good year for this species turning up inland.

Saltmasrh Plume Agdistis bennetii, Derby Fen, 9th June

Hawk-moths included Pine, Eyed, Poplar, Elephant and Small Elephant Hawk-moths and there were 3 Fox Moths. There were good numbers of July Belles and Sharp-angled Carpets along with 2 Shaded Pugs, 2 Four-dotted Footmen, a Broom Moth, 2 Bird’s Wings and a Dark Spectacle.

Fox Moth, Derby Fen, 9th June

Four-dotted Footman, Derby Fen, 9th June

Broom Moth, Derby Fen, 9th June

Bird's Wing, Derby Fen, 9th June

Other macro moth species we recorded were Ghost Moth, 4 Common Swifts, 2 Pebble Hook-tips, Treble Brown Spot, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, 2 Purple Bars, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, 5 Green Carpets, May Highflyer, Sandy Carpet, 's Pug, Wormwood Pug, 2 Common Pugs, 2 Grey Pugs, Small Yellow Wave, 2 Clouded Borders, Brown Silver-line, 5 Scorched Wings, 4 Brimstone Moths, 2 Peppered Moths, Willow Beauty, 3 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Pebble Prominent, 2 Lesser Swallow Prominents, 2 Marbled Browns, 2 Pale Tussocks, 5 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Club, 6 Heart and Darts, 4 Flame Shoulders, Ingrailed Clay, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 4 Shears, 2 Light Brocades, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Lychnis, Common Wainscot, 5 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, Grey or Dark Dagger, 6 Brown Rustics, Angle Shades, 3 Dark Arches, 2 Clouded-bordered Brindles, 2 Small Clouded Brindles, Large Nutmeg, 2 Rustic Shoulder-knots, 5 Marbled Minors, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 18 Middle-barred Minors, 6 Treble Lines, Mottled Rustic, Marbled White Spot, 4 Burnished Brasses, 2 Silver Ys, Dark Spectacle, Spectacle, Beautiful Hook-tip, 12 Straw Dots and Snout.

The rest of the micros were 3 Sorrel Bent-wings Opostega salaciella, Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, 3 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Large Groundling Teleiopsis diffinis, 2 Black-headed Conches Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, 9 Light Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia incertana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 15 Meadow Greys Scoparia pyralella,

Caddisflies included Hydropsyche pellucidula and Limnephilus sparsus and there was a Glow-worm.

After all that lot it was a surprisingly quiet night back at home - which made me wonder how good Derby Fen would have been on a better night.  Single-dotted Wave and Snout were the only new moths for the year at home, the rest being Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Pebble Hook-tip, Cream Wave, Treble Brown Spot, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Currant Pug, Pale Oak Beauty, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Buff-tip, Pale Tussock, 2 Orange Footmen, Common Footman, White Ermine, 4 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Flame Shoulder, 4 Ingrailed Clays, 3 Common Wainscots, Brown Rustic, Tawny Marbled Minor, Middle-barred Minor, 2 Mottled Rustics, 8 Straw Dots; also the caddisfly Limnephilus flavicornis.

Cinereous Neb Bryotropha terrella, North Elmham, 9th June

The following night was dire - just 19 species at what was coming up to the peak time of the year: Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Treble Brown Spot, Clouded Border, Buff-tip, 2 White Ermines, 6 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Common Wainscots, 2 Brown Rustics, Middle-barred Minor, Mottled Rustic and Burnished Brass.

There was a better range of moths during the day at the Cathedral Meadows next day, with Sorrel Bent-wing Opostega salaciella, Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Cherry-fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 2 Light Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia incertana, 12 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 11 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Yellow Shell, 4 Green Carpets and Straw Dot.

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

Cherry-fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

Common Marble Celypha lacunana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

Bugs included 2 Leptopterna dolabrata and a female leafhopper would have been a new species for me if I'd managed to identify it to species-level - it was either Cicadula persimilis or Cicadula quadrinotata, but you need a male to get any further than that.

Leptopterna dolobrata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

 Cicadula persimilis/quadrinotata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

I netted a beetle seen flying over the railway and this proved to be Hydrobius fuscipes.  I think this is a very common species as I've found several since but this was the first one I'd identified.  There was also a 24-spot Ladybird and the hoverfly Eupeodes corollae.

Hydrobius fuscipes, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

Eupeodes corollae, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

I think this spider is Tetragnatha extensa, another I'd not identified before.

Tetragnatha extensa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th June

Strawberry Tortrix and Fern Smut

I trapped two lifers on the night of Saturday 17th June. The first was clearly an Acleris laterana/comariana agg. but a very early date for laterana, and it was a bit on the small side.  I'd suspected comariana a year ago but the blighter escaped before I could confirm it, so I took great care not to let this one bolt for it!  One of the key differences in the genitalia are the size and arrangement of cornuti in the aedeagus (or in layman's terms, spiky bits in its willy!) but this one didn't have any cornuti (they sometimes leave them behind when mating).  The other features looked good but I wasn't 100% sure so sent a photo to Jon Clifton to check.  He confirmed what I thought - that it was a Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana.

Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

The second was instantly recognisable as a Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, but sadly it was also the only moth out of over 200 that didn't survive the night.  I started going through the trap at first light but by the time I reached it it was already dead in the bottom of an eggbox.  Still, a new moth for the house even if I am still yet to see one alive.  First recorded in Norfolk as recently as 2010 (Dersingham and Cromer) but there are now lots of records, mainly from the Broads.  Nevertheless despite Dick having recorded over 20 in five years at Dersingham, mine is only the second site in VC28 (west Norfolk) where it has been recorded.

dead Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

One more moth was new for the garden: Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella.

Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella, North Elmham, 17th June

Another excellent moth which I saw for the first time last year was Satyr Pug.  This one was a bit fresher than last year's and perhaps should have been identified, or at least suspected, without dissection.  Sadly for would-be twitchers I didn't get round to looking at it that carefully until it was too late.

Satyr Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Other new moths for the year were Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana, Drinker, 2 Lilac Beauties and 2 Rosy Footmen.

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, North Elmham, 17th June

Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, North Elmham, 17th June

Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Drinker, North Elmham, 17th June

Lilac Beauty, North Elmham, 17th June

Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 17th June

Also recorded were 2 Meadow Case-bearers Coleophora mayrella, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, 2 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, 8 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 6 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 11 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 7 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella, 4 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 2 Common Emeralds, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 5 Riband Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Barred Straws, Broken-barred Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Orange Footman, Common Footman, 7 Buff Ermines, Heart and Club, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Ingrailed Clay, 4 Double Square-spots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 7 Brown Rustics, Dark Arches, 5 Middle-barred Minors, 4 Uncertains, Marbled White Spot, 43 Straw Dots, 2 Snouts and 3 Fan-foots.

A good selection of caddisflies included 2 Ecnomus tenellus, Hydropsyche pellucidula,  Limnephilus lunatus, Athripsodes aterrimus, 2 Leptocerus tineiformis (new for the year) and 2 Mystacides longicornis.

Leptocerus tineiformis (male), North Elmham, 17th June

Bugs included Common Green Caspid Lygocoris pabulinus (new for the year) and the water boatman Sigara falleni, a lifer for me.

Sigara falleni, North Elmham, 17th June

Beetles consisted of my first Brown Chafer Serica brunnea of the year and another Cantharis cryptica.

Brown Chafer Serica brunnea, North Elmham, 17th June

Mayflies included 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, new for the year.

Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, North Elmham, 17th June