Anania fuscalis for the third year

Had a look round Lolly Moor with Dave on Sunday 11th June (I know, I'm falling way behind again... will hopefully start catching up now the summer peak has passed).  For the third year running we had several Cinereous Pearls Anania fuscalis - the only site this species is currently known to occur at in Norfolk.  There was a record from near Attleborough in the mid 90s but our records at Lolly Moor over the last three years are the only others in Norfolk since the 1800s.  I can't believe the species isn't present at other sites - worth checking other damp meadows with Yellow Rattle growing.

We also recorded Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, 3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, Thistle Conch Aethes cnicana, White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, probable Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana (had a pale hindwing but was quite worn so perhaps not safe to go on that feature; cirsiana occurs here as well and has similar genitalia) and 5 Grass Rivulets.

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, Lolly Moor, 11th June

Thistle Conch Aethes cnicana, Lolly Moor, 11th June

probable Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana, Lolly Moor, 11th June

Dave passed me this moth which he'd caught at home (Toftwood) for me to check - it was a Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana, a species only recorded in Norfolk half a dozen times.

Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana, Toftwood, 10th June

Moths at home on the night of 11th included Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Oak Hook-tip, Dark Arches and Beautiful Hook-tip all new for the year.

Small Grey Eudonia mercurella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 11th June

Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham, 11th June

Dark Arches, North Elmham, 11th June

Beautiful Hook-tip, North Elmham, 11th June

Other moths were London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Common Swifts, 2 Currant Pugs, 3 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, 3 Mottled Beauties, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 10 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 5 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, Lychnis, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 2 Middle-barred Minors, Uncertain, 3 Mottled Rustics, 4 Straw Dots and Snout.

Other insects in the trap included the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus and the bug Phylus palliceps which was new for the year.

Phylus palliceps, North Elmham, 11th June

New for the year the following night were Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, Large Yellow Underwing, Clay and Smoky Wainscot.

Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, North Elmham, 12th June

Large Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 12th June

Clay, North Elmham, 12th June

Smoky Wainscot, North Elmham, 12th June

Other moths that night were 2 London Dowds Blastobasis lacticolella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 2 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Barred Straw, Common Pug, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, Light Emerald, 4 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 3 Ingrailed Clays, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, Middle-barred Minor, 2 Treble Lines, Uncertain, Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, 7 Straw Dots and Pinion-streaked Snout.

Other things in the trap inlcuded the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus, the caddisfly  Limnephilus lunatus, the beetle Aphodius rufipes and another beetle that was new for me, Adrastus pallens.

Adrastus pallens, North Elmham, 12th June

Hedenham Wood

Last year the Norfolk Moth Survey went to Tindall Wood in the Ditchingham Estate.  I can't remember why I couldn't, or didn't go, but recall thinking I would have liked to have been there when I heard what they saw.  This year NMS returned to the estate but targetting a different wood in a different tetrad - Hedenham Wood, and I made sure I was there.  Heavy rain prior to dusk brought the temperatures down which was a shame, but even so I think we were all surprised and a bit disappointed about quite how few moths there were.  Nevertheless there were some interesting moths making the trip worthwhile.

Two macros were my favourites, if not necessarily the best.  One was a Green Arches - not a species that was new to me but I've only seen a couple before and both were worn and almost more grey than green.  Not so with this verdant delight!

Green Arches, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

The second was a lifer for me, though if I counted moths that other people had trapped, potted and brought to me then I would have already counted it.  It was another very smart moth, an Alder Moth.

Alder Moth, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

Rarer than either of those was a micro, at least we think so but it is awaiting gen det to confirm.  It looks like Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana which would be a new one for me.

apparent (pending confirmation) Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

Highlights from the rest were Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus, New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella and 4 Brindled Tortrixes Ptycholoma lecheana.

Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus (gen det Ben Lewis), Hedenham Wood, 11th June

The rest were 20 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 3 Yellow-spot Tortrixes Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Meadow Greys Scoparia pyralella, Gold Swift, 2 Common Swifts, Blood-vein, Flame Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, Green Carpet, 2 Mottled Pugs, Common Pug, Brown Silver-line, Scorched Wing, 2 Pale Oak Beauties, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawkmoth, Marbled Brown, Lobster Moth, Pale Tussock, Buff Ermine, 2 Flames, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Clouded-bordered Brindles, Marbled Minor, 2 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, Beautiful Golden Y, Straw Dot and Snout.  As always at these sorts of events the numbers are just what I could remember for sure - most would have been higher in reality.

Finally on the way home we found a moth in the car which turned out to be Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella.  This mainly Breckland species can only have come from the wood where I think it's a new species for the 10k square.

Quite a few Green Lacewings flying around, of which all those identified (mainly by Paul Cobb, this one by me) were Chrysopidia ciliata - a common species but with me being new to Lacewing ID it was new for me.

Chrysopidia ciliata, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

Also the odd Brown Lacewings, of which all those identified were Micromus paganus.

Three caddisflies were retained for ID - Limnephilus auricula is the caddis I've seen most of this year, Limnephilus affinis I've not seen nearly as often and Micropterna lateralis was one I had suspected in previous years but my first confirmed with a key.

Micropterna lateralis, Hedenham Wood, 11th June

At home that night several moths were new for the year, including Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, Figure of Eighty, Willow Beauty, Elephant Hawkmoth, 3 Ingrailed Clays and Dusky Brocade.

Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 11th June

Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, North Elmham, 11th June

Figure of Eighty, North Elmham, 11th June

Ingrailed Clay, North Elmham, 11th June

The rest of the crop were 30 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, 5 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 5 Common Swifts, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Sandy Carpet, Mottled Pug, Grey Pug, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawkmoth, Swallow Prominent, Common Footman, 3 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Shears, Light Brocade, Common Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, 2 Middle-barred Minors, 5 Treble Lines and Straw Dot.

Until recenlty I've been finding my new venture of caddisfly identification refreshngly straightforward.  That has tended to be the case with the genus Limnephilus, though not always, and today's were 3 auricula, 3 lunatus and my first Limnephilus rhombicus this year. 

Limnephilus rhombicus, North Elmham, 11th June

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 11th June

Some of the other genera aren't so easy and I find female Hydropsyche a particular challenge.  I'm pretty sure most so far have been pellucidula, though right now I'm not feeling quite confident enough to submit the records.  One of today's four was a bit different, or so it seemed, and I have identified it, if slightly tentatively, as Hydropsyche siltalai. 

apparent Hydropsyche siltalai, North Elmham, 11th June