Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Prominents (Notodontidae) - part 2: Prominents and Buff- and Chocolate-tips

PROMINENTS, KITTENS and allies (NOTODONTIDAE)


Iron Prominent Notodonta dromedarius - One caught in the garden on 1st May 2019 and then 3 singles between 21st July and 26th August.  In 2020 singles on 30th April, 18th May and 12th August.  3-5 here in a year is typical but there were 19 in 2016 and none in 2017.  One at Sculthorpe Moor on 26th April 2019 was my earliest ever and first April record.  Elsewhere singles at Weybourne, Swanton Great Wood and Row Heath (West Runton) in 2019 and 2 at Hills and Holes in 2020.

Iron Prominent, Sculthorpe Moor, 26th April 2019

Iron Prominent, North Elmham, 1st May 2019

Iron Prominent, North Elmham, 30th April 2020

Pebble Prominent Notodonta ziczac - 5 trapped in the garden between 21st June and 2nd August 2019 and then singles on 22nd May, 22nd July and 6th August 2020.  These low totals were better than 2018 (2) but well short of my yearly average of over 10.  Elsewhere one next door on 27th August 2019, one at the meadows on 22nd April 2019 and one at Bintree Wood on 24th July 2020.

Pebble Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Great Prominent Peridea anceps - One in the garden moth trap on 24th May 2020.  I've caught this species at home 3 times before (2015, 2016 and 2018).  Elsewhere one caught at Benhall (Suffolk) on 10th May 2019 and one at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020.

Great Prominent, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Great Prominent, North Elmham, 24th May 2020

Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula - Totals of 5 in the garden between 26th April and 29th August 2019 and 9 between 11th April (my earliest ever) and 16th May 2020.  These were my worst totals in 6 years - I've averaged 16-17 a year.  Elsewhere 3 next door, 6 at the meadows on 6 dates, one at Bintree Wood, 2 at Swanton Great Wood, one at Sculthorpe Moor, one at Hills and Holes and one at Benhall (Suffolk).

Swallow Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 26th April 2019

Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 11th April 2020

Swallow Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula - Totals of 16 trapped here between 25th April and 23rd  August 2019 and 20 between 15th April and 23rd August 2020 - 20 a year is about average.  Elsewhere singles next door on 3 nights, 2 at Weybourne, 1 at Row Heath (West Runton) (my latest ever, on 31st August), one at Benhall (Suffolk) and one on Mull, all in 2019.

Lesser Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 25th April 2019

Lesser Swallow Prominent (left) and Swallow Prominent (right), Benhall (Suffolk), 10th May 2019

Lesser Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 15th April 2020

Pale Prominent Pterostoma palpina - Totals of 9 in the garden between 4th July and 21st August 2019 and 8 between 8th May and 30th July 2020 - my worst years so far (average 20 a year).  Elsewhere my earliest ever at Sculthorpe Moor on 26th April 2019 and one at the meadows each year.

Pale Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Pale Prominent, North Elmham, 8th May 2020

Pale Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Coxcomb Prominent Ptilodon capucina - Totals of 22 here between 20th May and 24th August 2019 and 18 between 31st May and 14th August 2020.  These were my worst showings but in 6 years but I've never had more than 28.  Elsewhere one next door, one at Hills and Holes and one on Mull.

Coxcomb Prominent, North Elmham, 20th May 2019

Coxcomb Prominent, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Maple Prominent Ptilodon cucullina - None.  I caught 3 here (and one next-door) in 2016 but haven't had them here in any other year.  Interestingly 2016 doesn't seem to have been an especially good year elsewhere in Norfolk.


Buff-tip Phalera bucephala - Totals of 18 trapped in the garden between 26th May and 3rd August 2019 and 41 between 24th April (my earliest ever) and 22nd July 2020.  2020 was my second best year in 6, though well short of the impressive 85 caught in 2015.  Elsewhere singles at the meadows, Bintree Wood and Weybourne and 5 at Carsaig (Mull).

Buff-tip, North Elmham, 1st July 2019

Buff-tip, North Elmham, 17th May 2020

Buff-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Chocolate-tip Clostera curtula - One in the garden trap on 1st May 2019 and 5 between 26th April and 23rd May 2020.  I only had one in 2017 too but in other years I've caught between 8 and 12.

Chocolate-tip, North Elmham, 1st May 2019

Chocolate-tip, North Elmham, 26th April 2020

Next page: Erebidae

A rush of moths

Bank Holiday Monday was nice at the meadows with a number of new species for the site recorded.  I counted at least 13 Large Red Damselflies and butterflies included 8 Orange-tips, 4 Brimstones, 2 Holly Blues, 2 Small Tortoiseshells and 3 Speckled Woods. Moths weren't especially well represented with just Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and another Vetch Piercer Grapholita jungiella.  There were Dark-edged Bee-flies and bees included Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

I haven't been using my new sweep net very much as it provides so much material I end up spending all my hours working through it all in my study and not having enough time to go outside - it's bad enough anyway!  This was exemplified today when a single sweep through some grass and Ground Ivy produced the bug Stenodema laevigata, the planthopper Javesella pellucida, a rove beetle Tachyporus sp. (probably Tachyporus hypnorum), a Pea-leaf Weevil Sitona lineatus and a spider Metellina mengei, the first time I've identified this species.

Javesella pellucida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

Tachyporus sp., probably Tachyporus hypnorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

Metellina mengei, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

Among the flora, Greater Celandine was a new species for me.

Greater Celandine, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

Common Field Speedwell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

That evening a White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella was new for the year (appearing in my study) while the moth trap delivered two more additions to the garden year list, Pebble Prominent and Flame Shoulder.

 White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, North Elmham, 7th May

Pebble Prominent, North Elmham, 7th May

Flame Shoulder, North Elmham, 7th May

The following night was remarkably good compared to recent nights, or indeed any night this year so far.  Surprisingly a couple of other moth-trappers I've spoken to didn't have the same experience but for me it was massive!  Ok, 45 moths of 25 species may not sound like an extroadinary catch, but no less than 14 of these were new for the year.  Bear in mind that I trap every night, new moths for the year tend to be fairly well spread out.  The best night for new additions so far this year was 21st April with 6, and these 14 increased my year-list by over 20% in one foul swoop.  More nights like this please!

The 14 additions to the garden year list were: Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Pearl Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella, 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Chinese Character, Garden Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, 2 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, White-pinion Spotted, Coxcomb Prominent, 2 Orange Footmen, Cinnabar, Least Black Arches and 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts.

Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham, 8th May

Pearl Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella, North Elmham, 8th May

Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, North Elmham, 8th May

Chinese Character, North Elmham, 8th May

Garden Carpet, North Elmham, 8th May

Grey Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 8th May

Common Pug, North Elmham, 8th May

Brimstone Moth, North Elmham, 8th May

White-pinion Spotted, North Elmham, 8th May

Coxcomb Prominent, North Elmham, 8th May

Orange Footman, North Elmham, 8th May

Cinnabar, North Elmham, 8th May

Least Black Arches, North Elmham, 8th May

Shuttle-shaped Dart, North Elmham, 8th May

The other moths caught that night were 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 4 Brindled Pugs, 4 Waved Umbers, another 4 Chocolate-tips, 4 Muslin Moths, Hebrew Character and 3 Nut-tree Tussocks.

It was good for other insects too.  My first Mayfly of the year was a Large Dark Olive Baetis rhodani, actually a new species altogether for me, although I think some of my earlier attempts to identify mayflies were flawed so it may be that I've misidentified them in the past (I made a significant breakthrough with mayflies half way through last year when I realised how easy they were to sex).

Large Dark Olive Baetis rhodani (male imago), North Elmham, 8th May

Three species of caddisfly tripled my caddis year-list: Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus affinis and 3 Limnephilus auricula.

Limnephilus affinis, North Elmham, 8th May

Limnephilus auricula, North Elmham, 8th May

Beetles included Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis, Black Sexton Beetle and my first Cantharis cryptica (one of the soldier-beetles) of the year.  Check out the suction pads on the underside of one of the Diving Beetles tarsal segments...

Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis, North Elmham, 8th May

Cantharis cryptica, North Elmham, 8th May