Review of 2019 and 2020 - Leafhoppers part 3: subfamilies Iassinae, Macropsinae, Aphrodinae and Deltocephalinae I

LEAFHOPPERS (CICADELLIDAE) (continued)


SUBFAMILY IASSINAE


Iassus lanio - This species is common here, recorded on several nights in each of the last 4 years with a peak of 4-5 in a night, but the flight period is usually fairly short - all but one of my records fall in July.  In 2019 they were compressed into one week, recorded on 6 nights between 19th and 25th July, a bit later than in 2017 (4th to 21st) or 2018 (5th to 20th).  They were a bit more spread out in 2020 with 5 between 1st and 26th July and then a late one on 20th August.  Also 2 to light at the Cathedral Meadows on 26th July 2019 and about 30 there on 18th July 2020.  Elsewhere one at Bintree Wood on 24th July 2020.  I haven't kept data on forms but the green form is usually commoner than the brown ones shown below which seem to be the only ones I got sharable photos of these years.

Iassus lanio, North Elmham, 19th July 2019

Iassus lanio, North Elmham, 20th August 2020

SUBFAMILY MACROPSINAE


Oncopsis flavicollis - 3 in the garden moth trap on each of the 1st & 2nd June 2019, plus one on 23rd June.  Slightly more numerous in 2020 with 7 between 20th May and 26th July.  Also one on Downy Birch at the meadows on 24th June 2019 and one to light at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020.  Given the variation in face pattern I resorted to checking the genitalia on a few of each species of Oncopsis, just to make sure I was on the right track.

Oncopsis flavicollis, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

male Oncopsis flavicollis, North Elmham, 20th May 2020

male Oncopsis flavicollis, North Elmham, 16th June 2020

female Oncopsis flavicollis, North Elmham, 26th June 2020 - is this yellow form unique to female flavicollis or can subangulata look like this too?

Oncopsis subangulata - Singles in the garden moth trap on 30th May 2019 and 12th June and 4th July 2020.  I've recorded this species slightly less often than Oncopsis flavicollis and only ever one at a time (whereas I've caught up to 4 flavicollis at a time).  With some of my earlier records I'm not sure I always 100% eliminated a poorly-marked flavicollis but more recently I've been checking the genitalia where there's any doubt.

male Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 12th June 2020 - showing the equal-pronged aedaegus basal supports

male Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 4th July 2020

Macropsis scotti - None.  I found one of these at the meadows in 2018.


Macropsis sp. - I found this extraordinary-looking leafhopper nymph at Winterton on 19th August 2019 and was struck by the Stegosaurus-like projections along its dorsum.  Bemused by its ID I posted a pic on Twitter and Tristan Bantock kindly replied to say it was one of the Macropsis.

Macrospsis sp. nymph, Winterton, 19th August

SUBFAMILY APHRODINAE


Aphrodes bicinctus/makarovi - Piecing together the information I could find about separating these two species I eventually became satisfied that 3 females caught in my garden moth trap between 5th and 14th October 2019 were Aphrodes bicinctus.  However, when I looked back at these IDs a year later I'm not entirely sure what criteria I was going on - my notes refer to characters that appear to relate to the RES key's differentiation between bicinctus and aestuarinus, and I wonder if I had wrongly understood aestuarinus to be a synonym of makarovi.  The RES key treats aestuarinus as a subspecies of bicinctus and I wonder if I got confused having read that makarovi had previously been considered a form of bicinctus?  Anyway, whatever my thinking at the time, makarovi isn't covered in the key and was split from bicinctus more recently, so keying them to bicinctus does not help to rule out makarovi.  Unfortunately I didn't retain a record of their size and at least one of them seems to have pale wing veins which is supposed to be a character of makarovi.  So in hindsight I think I should regard these as bicinctus/makarovi agg. and hope to catch more in future that I can resolve positively.  I didn't catch any at home in 2020 but did catch one at Whitwell Street on 3rd September 2020, however I was unable to satisfy myself whether this female was bicinctus or the commoner makarovi.  In view of the confusion I think my previous records of makarovi from here and the meadows in 2018 are perhaps also best treated as aggs. at least until such time as I can find one I can positively identify.

Aphrodes bicinctus/makarovi agg., North Elmham, 5th October 2019

Aphrodes bicinctus/makarovi agg., North Elmham, 12th October 2019

Aphrodes bicinctus/makarovi agg., North Elmham, 15th October 2019

SUBFAMILY DELTOCEPHALINAE


Psammotettix confinis - My first example of this species came to light at the meadows on 8th September 2020.  In view of the similarity of this species to others in the genus I attempted to check its genitalia, but I messed it up, initially extracting what I thought was the aedeagus before realising it wasn't and then being unable to find the real thing.  I think the ID should be safe enough from external characters, but let me know if you disagree.

Psammotettix confinis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

Psammotettix striatus - A leafhopper caught in the garden moth trap on 25th July 2019 seemed to key to this species which is supposed to restricted to the Brecks (or at least it was when the RES key to Deltocephalinae was published, but that was 1969).  The Brecks aren't all that far away so it's not entirely implausible but even if the description of the range isn't up to date it's a Red Data Book species so worth making quite sure.  The wings clearly exceeded the abdomen and the length was about 4.0mm (which is the bottom end for striatus).  The genitalia are a little tough to match up the the figures in the key but the long narrow stem to the aedeagus from behind seems to eliminate most of the similar species.  The side view isn't perhaps quite as it should be though, so I'm not absolutely 100% sure and would be grateful for others' thoughts.

possible Psammotettix striatus, North Elmham, 25th July 2019 (lower two photos show aedeagus, firstly in situ from behind and then detached from the side)

Next page: more leafhoppers

One moth, two caddis and two bug lifers all in a night's work

This Dark-fringed Flat-body Agonopterix nervosa was one of several highlights on Thursday 17th August, a new species of moth for me.

Dark-fringed Flat-body Agonopterix nervosa (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th August

I suspected that this peculiar-looking moth would turn out to be a Common Carpet despite it looking very different from the normal appearance of this species, and so it was - but I have never seen one looking anything like this before - has anyone else?  The dark band across the middle is very much narrower than normal and the outer darkish band is much broader than normal filling up the space.

Common Carpet (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th August

This Six-striped Rustic was new for the year.

Six-striped Rustic, North Elmham, 17th August

The other moths were Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 17 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Maiden's Blush, Single-dotted Wave, Garden Carpet, another normal Common Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Currant Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, 3 Willow Beauties, 3 Pale Prominents, 9 Flame Shoulders, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 8 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Bright-line Brown-eye, Common Wainscot, Straw Underwing, Flounced Rustic and 4 Straw Dots.

As if a new moth wasn't good enough there were also a few other insect lifers.   There were 8 caddisflies and all 8 were different species.  I've not been doing caddisflies for long but even so it already seems quite unusual to get a new species at home, so this haul was remarkable - two lifers Limnephilus hirsutus and Micropterna sequax and one new for the house Holocentropus picicornis.

Limnephilus hirsutus (female), North Elmham, 17th August

Micropterna sequax (male), North Elmham, 17th August

I'd had my first picicornis just 3 days earlier at Potter Heigham - if you read my diary entry for that excursion you may recall reading about it being the unspotted form rather than the usual spotted one - this time it was the typical form and very striking it was too.

Holocentropus picicornis (male), North Elmham, 17th August

The other 5 caddisflies were Hydropsyche pellucidula, Agrypnia pagetana, Crunoecia irrorata, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus lunatus.  Other insects included 5 species of bug including two lifers, the mirid bug Neolygus contaminatus and the water boatman Sigara dorsalis.  Now strictly speaking the Water Boatman could have been Sigara striata (there is a subtle difference in the genitalia but I couldn't resolve this one) but my understanding is that dorsalis is very common in Norfolk whereas striata is, or at least was, very much rarer.  Other bugs were 2 Forest Bugs and the leafhoppers Oncopsis subangulata and Empoasca vitis.

Neolygus contaminatus, North Elmham, 17th August

presumed Sigara dorsalis (male), North Elmham, 17th August

Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 17th August

The rest of the insects I recorded were 5 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum (mayflies), 2 Chrysoperla carnea (female agg. and male carnea) (green lacewings), Rhantus suturalis (water beetle) and Aphodius rufipes (dung beetle).  Also 2 Common Frogs watching proceedings, one from the lid of the trap.

A visit to Ryburgh the next day produced a Mouse Moth and a Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana. That night at home there were far fewer insects.  Square-spot Rustic was new for the year.

Square-spot Rustic, North Elmham, 18th August

The other moths were Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 5 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Brimstone Moths, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pale Prominent, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Six-striped Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, Burnished Brass and Snout.

There weren't many other insects either but two beetles were both new for the house: Eyed Ladybird and Cortinicara gibbosa (I wouldn't have identified the gibbosa in previous years but I think the ladybird was genuinely a good record here).

Eyed Ladybird, North Elmham, 18th August

Cortinicara gibbosa, North Elmham, 18th August

A first for Norfolk - nearly!

On Monday 19th June I considered having a wander round Beetley Common, just 5 minutes away and good for insects last time I was there.  But there had been a Lesser Emperor at Selbrigg Pond for a few days and it was reported as still being there, and I've never seen a Lesser Emperor in the UK, so I thought I'd head there instead.  That proved to be a very unfortunate decision!  There were a few dragonflies on view including normal Emperors and Red-eyed Damselflies, but I couldn't find the Lesser Emperor.  A couple sitting by the pond said there had been people there watching it who left just before I arrived, and I someone who must have arrived just after I left tweeted that it was still there shortly afterwards, so it seems that I was very unlucky.  To make matters worse Kevin du Rose visited Beetley Common while I was at Selbrigg and found, guess what - a Lesser Emperor!

The lady sitting by the pond found this caterpillar which she wanted me to identify.  I'm rubbish at caterpillars and couldn't help, but having now looked it up I think it's an Oak Beauty.

Oak Beauty, Selbrigg Pond, 19th June

I made up for the disappointment with Lesser Emperor when it came to checking the moths I caught overnight.  Among them was a smart streaky grey gelechiid which looked interesting.  It looked like an Anarsia species, but not Anarsia spartiella, the one I've seen before - it was too streaky.  It looked more like Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella, a species only recorded in Norfolk once before and usually found among imported peaches.  Well this wasn't among imported peaches and I wasn't convinced it was this species, but on first look I couldn't find any similar species - certainly not on the Norfolk Moths website anyway, nor the UK Moths website.  My next stop was Lepiforum where I discovered a species called Anarsia innoxiella, very similar to Peach Twig Borer.  Helpfully Lepiforum has an image detailing the differences between the two species and sure enough my moth was spot on for Anarsia innoxiella!  I then checked back on Norfolk Moths, UK Moths and some other British moth websites and couldn't find innoxiella mentioned anywhere... surely I hadn't found a first for Britain?  Next stop was Google and that led me to the Gelechiid Recording Scheme and there on its news page was the information that Anarsia innoxiella had been split from Peach Twig Borer only as recently as March 2017.  It stated that, "Initial examination of recently light-trapped British material, which were thought to be A. lineatella, suggest many could well be referable to the new species, Anarsia innoxiella."  Hmm, "could well be"?  Does that mean innoxiella hasn't actually been confirmed yet?  Are they waiting for a specimen?  Could mine be the first confirmed British record?  Well no, for elsewhere on the same website I found a page for the species which clarified that there have indeed been confirmed records and that "Early indications are that it is well established in south-east England but should be considered at best local in its distribution."  So certainly not new to the UK but maybe to Norfolk?  None on the Norfolk Moths website so it was looking hopeful that I might at least have found a first for Norfolk.  Well sadly it turns out that it wasn't even that - not quite - for Andy Wallis had trapped one just three nights earlier.  I'd been pipped to the post - and not for the first time (a very similar thing happened with my first Italian Tubic Metalampra italica).  Still, a very nice find, second for Norfolk, first for VC28 and of course a new moth for me.

Anarsia innoxiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Among the rest of the catch several species were new for the year including two I have rarely seen before (both on just single occasions here before) - Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta and Haworth's Pug.

Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta, North Elmham, 19th June

Others new for the year here were Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Leopard Moth, Peach Blossom, July Highflyer and Poplar Grey.

Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 19th June

Peach Blossom, North Elmham, 19th June

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 19th June

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana was my third record and first outside of January/February.

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Satyr Pug was also my third, and for the third time its identity wasn't realised until after it had died.  Here it is with the Haworth's Pug and a Grey Pug also caught that night - I suppose I shouldn't beat myself up too much for not realising I had all three species straight away...

Satyr Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Haworth's Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Grey Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

The other moths caught were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella, 2 Woundwort Case-bearers Coleophora lineolea, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 3 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 11 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 4 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 13 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 5 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 8 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Buff Arches, 2 Common Emeralds, Dwarf Cream Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 8 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, 6 Barred Straws, 4 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Privet Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 3 Rosy Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, 9 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 2 Short-cloaked Moths, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, Shears, Common Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 6 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 11 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Spectacle, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, 20 Straw Dots, 3 Snouts and 2 Fan-foots.

Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, North Elmham, 19th June

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 19th June

Caddisflies were represented by 2 Ecnomus tenellus, Mystacides longicornis and Oecetis lacustris, and Mayflies by a Green Drake Ephemera danica.  There was another Fly Bug Reduvius personatus in the trap along with two other bugs that were new for the year here: Stenotus binotatus and the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Stenotus binotatus, North Elmham, 19th June

Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 19th June

New caddis and new leafhopper

It's that time of year when I start getting really behind with a desk full of pots containing moths that need dissecting or other things that require close examination.  I'll do my best to keep up - or rather catch up - but no promises.

Last Monday (6th June) saw 25 species of moth at home including 7 new for the year (none of which were very unexpected): 5 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Light Emerald, Turnip Moth and Tawny Marbled Minor.

Light Emerald, North Elmham, 6th June

Small Magpie , North Elmham, 6th June

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 6th June

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, North Elmham, 6th June

Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 6th June

The others were 18 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Swift, Blood-vein, Garden Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Green Carpets, 4 Common Pugs, White Ermine, 2 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Small Square-spot, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Shears, Brown Rustic and 10 Treble Lines.

Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, North Elmham, 6th June

The following night was better with 36 species including another surge of Diamond-backs.  Another 7 were new for the year: Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Small Rivulet, Grey Pug, Shoulder-striped Wainscot and Mottled Rustic.

Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, North Elmham, 7th June

Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, North Elmham, 7th June

Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, North Elmham, 7th June

Shoulder-striped Wainscot, North Elmham, 7th June

Grey Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th June

The rest were 93 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Common Swift, Silver-ground Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, Sandy Carpet, 8 Common Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Pale Tussock, Orange Footman, 4 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 5 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, 2 Flame Shoulders, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Shears, Marbled Minor, 2 Middle-barred Minors, 17 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, North Elmham, 7th June

Among the caddisflies Glyphotaelius pellucidus is now familiar, 2 Limnephilus lunatus were new for the year but one of the few caddisflies distinctive enough for me to have identified before getting the key this year, and 3 Mystacides longicornis, a species I think I recognise as having seen before but which I had not identified previously.

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 7th June

Mystacides longicornis, North Elmham, 7th June

Another pan-lifer came in the form of the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 7th June