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

Alder Signal

After a great night on 7th July the following night was dire - chalk and cheese with 118 species one night and just 29 the next.  Despite the poor showing I managed two new for the year: Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis and Ear Moth.

Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, North Elmham, 8th July

Ear Moth (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th July

The others were Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 15 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Lesser Cream Wave, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, 6 Single-dotted Waves, Yellow Shell, 2 Early Thorns, Willow Beauty, 4 Dingy Footmen, 29 Common Footmen, 8 Buff Ermines, 8 Smoky Wainscots, Dark Arches, 2 Common Rustics, 18 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Mottled Rustic and Nut-tree Tussock.

Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 8th July

Common Rustic (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th July

It wasn't all bad - I managed to identify a new beetle, the water beetle Ilybius fuliginosus.  Also the soldier beetle Rhagonycha fulva and the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus.

Ilybius fuliginosus, North Elmham, 8th July

Next morning this Common Darter was perched on the buddleia, my first here this year.

Common Darter, North Elmham, 9th July

The moths were back on form that night topping 100 species again.  My second ever Alder Signal Stathmopoda pedella was the highlight.

Alder Signal Stathmopoda pedella, North Elmham, 9th July

Also new for the year were Sorrel Bent-wing Opostega salaciella, Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, Grey-streaked Smudge Plutella porrectella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, 2 White-triangle Buttons Acleris holmiana, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella and Ruby Tiger.

Sorrel Bent-wing Opostega salaciella, North Elmham, 9th July

Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, North Elmham, 9th July

Grey-streaked Smudge Plutella porrectella, North Elmham, 9th July

Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, North Elmham, 9th July

White-triangle Button Acleris holmiana, North Elmham, 9th July

Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, North Elmham, 9th July

Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella, North Elmham, 9th July

Ruby Tiger, North Elmham, 9th July

Other micros were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 28 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, 3 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, Pine Cosmet Batrachedra pinicolella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, 3 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, probable Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Rusty Oak Buttons Acleris ferrugana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, 50 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 6 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 3 Yellow Satin Veneers Crambus perlella, 3 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 17 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis and Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella.

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 9th July

Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, North Elmham, 9th July

The macros were 2 Chinese Characters, Small Emerald, 8 Blood-veins, 2 Lesser Cream Waves, 7 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Dwarf Cream Waves, 6 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Riband Waves, 3 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, Yellow Shell, 2 Barred Straws, Brown Scallop, Green Pug, 3 Small Yellow Waves, 3 Brimstone Moths, 2 Early Thorns, 4 Scalloped Oaks, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, 3 Clouded Silvers, Brown-tail, Yellow-tail, 7 Rosy Footmen, 25 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 28 Common Footmen, 4 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 7 Double Square-spots, 4 Nutmegs, 3 Smoky Wainscots, 3 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, Light Arches, Slender Brindle, Rufous Minor, Tawny Marbled Minor, Common Rustic, 20 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Marbled White Spot, Nut-tree Tussock, 2 Spectacles, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Straw Dots, Snout, 4 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Mayflies were represented by 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita.  The green lacewings were Cunctochrysa albolineata and Dichochrysa flavifrons.

A good variety of caddisflies included my first Oxyethira falcata.  Also 2 Hydropsyche siltalai, Agrypnia pagetana, Limnephilus lunatus, Athripsodes aterrimus and Ceraclea dissimilis.

Oxyethira falcata (female), North Elmham, 9th July

Beetles consisted of Brown Chafer, Rhygonycha fulva, Orange Ladybird and Lagria hirta.  There was the leafhopper Ianus lanio while other bugs consisted of 2 Stenotus binotatus and another Macrotylus solitarius - my third this summer of this species that had only been recorded in Norfolk once before.

Macrotylus solitarius, North Elmham, 9th July