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.

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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.

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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

Fiery Oak Midget

Some pretty poor nights towards the end of April continued with a catch of just 2 Hebrew Characters on Friday 26th.  The following night was marginally better with Muslin Moth and 4 Hebrew Characters but the sixth and last moth of the night made all the difference - a Lunar Marbled Brown, a new species for my garden.

Lunar Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 27th April

On Sunday 28th April Shuttle-shaped Dart was new for the year.  Otherwise just Muslin Moth, 5 Hebrew Characters and 2 Early Greys.  Also 2 Varied Carpet Beetles in the house. 

Shuttle-shaped Dart, North Elmham, 28th April

I spent quite a lot of time trying to key out this ichneumon but after a couple of hours of hitting dead ends I had to give up - I will have to leave it at Ophion sp.

Ophion sp., North Elmham, 28th April

My first Small Copper of the year was at Burnham Overy on Monday 29th, along with 2 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, 2 Cinnabars and the hoverfly Helophilus pendulus.

 Small Copper, Burnham Overy, 29th April

A wander round Thursford Wood proved very productive with another 20 Oak Satin Lifts Heliozela saricella (hot on the heels of my first 20 or so at Honeypot Wood a week earlier).  Even better was my first ever Fiery Oak Midget Phyllonorycter lautella.  Many of the Phyllonorycters are stunning little moths but this one beats them all!  My photos don't do it justice but it was a real gem.

Fiery Oak Midget Phyllonorycter lautella, Thursford Wood, 29th April

Other moths included 2 Plain Golds Micropterix calthella, 2 Common Oak Purples Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Feathered Bright Incurvaria masculella, 2 Green Long-horns Adela reaumurella and 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana. Other orders were represented by a Large Red Damselfly, Chocolate Mining Bee and Common Carder Bee, and the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius micans - a new one for me.  Another fly similar to the one I tentatively identified as Thaumatomyia notata the other day was, this time, I think one of the similar Chlorops species with a very different triangular marking on the head.

Chlorops sp., Thursford Wood, 29th April

Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica, Thursford Wood, 29th April

Hemerobius micans, Thursford Wood, 29th April

 Oak Satin Lift Heliozela saricella (male, gen det), Thursford Wood, 29th April

Later in the afternoon I met Dave at Litcham Common where we found the wind had picked up so moth activity was much less than we'd hoped. Arguably the highlight was a Rowan Midget Phyllonorycter sorbi - a moth I had seen a couple of times before but with a specimen, albeit a female one, this was the most soundly confirmed example. The only other moths were 3 Large Long-horns Nematopogon swammerdamella and Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella.  A Brown Lacewing proved to be Hemerobius humulinus and Leafhoppers included Empoasca vitis and what was probably Zygina flammigera.  Finally a leafmine in Honeysuckle turned out to belong to the fly Aulagromyza cornigera.

vacated (probably) leaf mine of Aulagromyza cornigera, Litcham Common, 29th April

probable Zygina flammigera, Litcham Common, 29th April

Rowan Midget Phyllonorycter sorbi (female, gen det), Litcham Common, 29th April

Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Litcham Common, 29th April

Dave thought this was a St Mark's Fly but for some reason it didn't look right to me - almost bug-like.  Dave was right though.

St Mark's Fly, Litcham Common, 29th April

I often see Brown Rats when I'm at Great Ryburgh and this one was particularly keen to get inside the bird feeders...  It was a bit wobbly walking the spiky tight-rope of a barred wire fence and eventually fell off, crashing onto the barbs of the wires below on its way down.  It was completely unharmed though and straightaway resumed attempting to gain entry to the bird feeders.

Brown Rat, Ryburgh, 26th April

Dark Sword-grass

On Friday night Dave and I set up at Beetley Common, a site close to home that we thought had good potential.  We had a reasonable variety of moths coming to light but I found the best moth as I walked back to the car to get something.  A large moth flew across the path in front of me and duly arrived in my net where I recognised it as a Dark Sword-grass.  I don't see this migrant species very often and it was Dave's first ever.  Not the prettiest moth perhaps but distinctive and interesting for being my first migrant moth of the year.

 Dark Sword-grass, Beetley Common, 15th May

By far the most numerous insect (with the possible exception of tiny flies that we didn't identify) was Cockchafer.  These were becoming quite a nuisance so we potted them up to keep them at bay until we left - around 30 in total.

The other moths were 2 Common Oak Purples Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, Scalloped Hook-tip, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, 4 Brindled Pugs, Brown Silver-line, 3 Brimstone Moths, 2 Waved Umbers, 2 White-pinion Spotteds, Pale Prominent, 2 Pale Tussocks, 3 Orange Footmen, 3 Least Black Arches, Bright-line Brown-eye, Hebrew Character, Treble Lines and 2 Nut-tree Tussocks.

Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Beetley Common, 15th May

Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, Beetley Common, 15th May

Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, Beetley Common, 15th May

Orange Footman, Beetley Common, 15th May

Green Carpet, Beetley Common, 15th May

White-pinion Spotted, Beetley Common, 15th May

Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella, Beetley Common, 15th May

 
Not 100% sure about the identity of this bug, but I think it may be Thamnotettix dilutior.

possible Thamnotettix dilutior, Beetley Common, 15th May

 
This is one Mayfly - genus Caenis but apparently you need to dissect them to get a species ID.

Caenis sp., Beetley Common, 15th May

 
Earlier in the evening I'd popped to the patch where at Hell Pit I found a Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella on the car and netted a Chinese Character.

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella (male, gen det), Hell Pit, Bittering, 15th May

 
At home Green Carpet, 2 Scalloped Hazels, Buff-tip, Treble Lines and Pale Mottled Willow were all new for the year, at least for the house.

Pale Mottled Willow, Norh Elmham, 15th May

Treble Lines, Norh Elmham, 15th May

 
Others were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Flame Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Poplar Hawkmoths, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, Least Black Arches, Flame Shoulder, Lychnis, 2 Hebrew Characters and Spectacle.

Pale Prominent, Norh Elmham, 15th May

Poplar Hawkmoth, Norh Elmham, 15th May

 
Anyone out there any good on caddisflies?  This one was huge but I can't find the species.

unidentified Caddisfly, Norh Elmham, 15th May