Review of 2019 and 2020 - Froghoppers, Planthoppers and Leafhoppers part 1 (Ledrinae and Cicadellinae)

RED-AND-BLACK FROGHOPPERS (CERCOPIDAE)


Red-and-black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata - Seen at the Cathedral Meadows on 12th and 25th May 2019 and 2nd May 2020.

Red-and-black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th May 2019

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OTHER FROGHOPPERS (APHROPHORIDAE)


Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni - One on White Willow at the meadows on 8th September 2019 and one caught in the garden moth trap on 31st July 2020.

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2019

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius - Caught in my garden moth trap on 1st and 4th July and 26th August 2019 and on 29th June 2020.  Also to light at the meadows on 3rd September 2019 and 23rd June 2020 and one on Mugwort there on 3rd August.  Also what was probably one at Whitwell Street on 3rd September 2020 but this one escaped before I could confirm it.

Common Froghopper Philaeneus spumarius, North Elmham, 1st July 2019

Common Froghopper Philaeneus spumarius, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Common Froghopper Philaeneus spumarius, North Elmham, 29th June 2020

Neophilaenus lineatus - None locally but one near Carsaig on Mull on 10th June 2019.  I had one at the Cathedral Meadows in 2018.

Neophilaenus lineatus, west of Carsaig, 10th June 2019

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LEAFHOPPERS (CICADELLIDAE)


SUBFAMILY LEDRINAE


Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita - One in the garden moth trap on 30th July 2020.  None in 2019 but I had 4 here in 2016 and one in 2018.

Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

SUBFAMILY CICADELLINAE


Cicadella viridis - 2 in the moth trap on 25th July 2019 were new for the garden.  A male came to light at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August, my first of the dark-winged form (is that all males and only males?), and 2 seen at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.

Cicadella viridis, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Cicadella viridis, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Next page: more Leafhoppers

A good year for Bordered Beauties

Another White-bodied Conch Cochylis hybridella was probably the best moth on 20th August.  The species has only recently become established in the county and all four of my own records have been in the last couple of years.

White-bodied Conch Cochylis hybridella, North Elmham, 20th August

An Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella was new for the year here.

Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella, North Elmham, 20th August

This Bordered Beauty was my 7th here this year, a fantastic tally for a moth that I'd only ever seen that many times before, and only twice before in the garden.  It's a great-looking moth so a good year of them was very much appreciated.

Bordered Beauty, North Elmham, 20th August

Other moths were Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, 6 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, White-headed Ermine Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, House Neb Bryotropha domestica, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 27 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, 2 Beautiful Plumes Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Pebble Hook-tip, Common Carpet, 4 Double-striped Pugs, 5 Brimstone Moths, Bordered Beauty, Willow Beauty, Light Emerald, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Six-striped Rustics, 4 Square-spot Rustics, Straw Underwing, 18 Flounced Rustics, Frosted Orange, Vine's Rustic and 4 Straw Dots.
 
The waxfly Coniopteryx tineiformis was new for the year for the garden, and only my second here.  I've had a few elsewhere though, and all these records aren't bad considering that until 2016 there was only one county record.  Other Neuroptera were the green and brown lacewings Chrysoperla carnea agg., 2 Cunctochrysa albolineata, Dichochrysa flavifrons, Hemerobius humulinus and 6 Hemerobius lutescens.

Among the caddisflies 3 Small Silver Sedges Lepidostoma hirtum were new for the year. The others were Ithytrichia lamellaris, 3 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 4 Hydropsyche siltalai and Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus.

Small Silver Sedge Lepidostoma hirtum, North Elmham, 20th August

The barkfly Elipsocus hyalinus was new for the garden.  There was also another Ectopsocus petersi.

Elipsocus hyalinus, North Elmham, 20th August

The stunning leafhopper Zygina flammigera was also new for the garden, although I have suspected them in the past (they can be a bit tricky to identify positively).  Other leafhoppers included 5 Empoasca vitis, 2 female Kybos sp. and a female Edwardsiana sp. - in both cases males are needed for a full ID.  Other bugs were 2 Forest Bugs and 2 Tarnished Plant Bugs Lygus rugulipennis.

Zygina flammigera, North Elmham, 20th August

The following night was quieter - the moths were 2 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Little Mompha Mompha raschkiella, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana, 21 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 7 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Orange Swifts, 2 Blood-veins, Single-dotted Wave, Garden Carpet, 2 Double-striped Pugs, Scorched Carpet, 3 Brimstone Moths, Common Wave, 2 Light Emeralds, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 7 Six-striped Rustics, Square-spot Rustic, Lychnis, 25 Flounced Rustics, Frosted Orange, 3 Vine's Rustics, Spectacle and 4 Straw Dots.

There were no lacewings but Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum and Green Drake Ephemera danica represented the mayflies.  There was a good variety of caddisflies given the low overall numbers: Ithytrichia lamellaris, Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Small Silver Sedge Lepidostoma hirtum, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus lunatus and Molanna angustata.

Among the beetles the water beetle Ilybius fuliginosus was new for the year here.  A Lesser Mealworm Beetle Alphitobius diaperinus was only the second I've identified.  There were also 8 Bradycellus verbasci and 2 Aphodius rufipes.  A Birch Shieldbug was the only bug.

Ilybius fuliginosus, North Elmham, 21st August

Lesser Mealworm Beetle Alphitobius diaperinus, North Elmham, 21st August

The next day a wander round the meadows produced less than usual - 2 Chrysoperla carnea (green lacewings), Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, 3 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, a Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius and a Red Fox.

Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August

3 new moths for the garden, including Epinotia tedella, bringing the garden list past 800

Apparently the Common Spruce Bell Epinotia tedella is indeed common in coniferous forests across the UK, but it is rare in Norfolk (can go several years in a row without any records), and there aren't any coniferous forests in my back garden.  So finding one in my trap on 17th June was one of the best, if not the best, find of the summer.  I have to say it wasn't much to look at, being very worn, and although tedella was always a contender I had to gen det it to be sure what it was.

Common Spruce Bell Epinotia tedella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

This wasn't the only new moth for the garden that night - there was also an Agrimony Case-bearer Coleophora follicularis, a species I'd had at Bawdeswell three times (confirmed by Jon Clifton as I wasn't gen detting back then) but not here at North Elmham despite checking all possible candidates since moving here.

Agrimony Case-bearer Coleophora follicularis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Yet another new moth for the garden was a Thistle Conch Aethes cnicana, a species I'd only seen twice before.  I must have had photos of this as my notes about it refer to them but they aren't in the folder where they should be and I can't find them anywhere else either.  It would appear that I have accidentally deleted them, or just maybe incorrectly labelled them and filed them away under something else.  Three new moths for the garden in one night is an increasingly rare occurrence!  They also take my garden moth list through a milestone - past the 800 mark to 801.

There were some more new moths for the garden year list too: Oak Carl Tischeria ekebladella, Cypress-tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, Purple Bar, Barred Yellow, Bordered Pug, Tawny-barred Angle and Cream-bordered Green Pea.

Oak Carl Tischeria ekebladella, North Elmham, 17th June

Purple Bar, North Elmham, 17th June

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 17th June

Bordered Pug, North Elmham, 17th June

Tawny-barred Angle, North Elmham, 17th June

Cream-bordered Green Pea, North Elmham, 17th June

Other moths were 2 Blackthorn Slenders Parornix torquillella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 False Cacao Moths Ephestia woodiella, Small Dusty Wave, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 5 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Grey Pine Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, 2 Sandy Carpets, Freyer's Pug, Common Pug, Grey Pug, V-Pug, Double-striped Pug, Treble-bar, Clouded Border, Peppered Moth, 4 Willow Beauties, Pale Oak Beauty, 4 Clouded Silvers, 3 Light Emeralds, Common Footman, Buff Ermine, 3 Heart and Darts, Flame, 2 Flame Shoulders, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 3 Common Wainscots, 4 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, 3 Dark Arches, Tawny Marbled Minor, 3 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 4 Uncertains, 3 Burnished Brasses, 25 Straw Dots and 9 Snouts.

The green lacewing Chrysopidia ciliata was new for the year, as was a Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius.  Other things included the bugs Orthotylus tenellus and Psallus varians, the leafhopper Oncopsis flavicollis and the soldier beetle Cantharis cryptica.

Chrysopidia ciliata, North Elmham, 17th June

Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius, North Elmham, 17th June

Next day a Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum was attracted to a Grapholita lobarzewskii pheronome lure, a new bug for the garden.

Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum, North Elmham, 18th June

Another Clouded Magpie and a couple of new hoppers

Among the moths trapped on the night of 2nd August were four new species of the year: 2 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis corylana, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and White-spotted Pug.

Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, North Elmham, 2nd August

Rush Veneer Nomophila nocutella, North Elmham, 2nd August

White-spotted Pug, North Elmham, 2nd August

As well as the Rush Veneer, migrants included 13 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella.  26 Mother of Pearls (or should that be Mothers of Pearl?) Pleuroptya ruralis was the highest count of the year. 

There were two more unidentifiable Ermines Yponomeuta sp. (Orchard padella, Apple malinellus or Spindle cagnagella) - frustrating not to be able to name these but they can't even be done by checking their genitalia.

Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Another species I don't see here very often was Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella.

Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, North Elmham, 2nd August

A reasonable selection of other micros too: Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, 4 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 3 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 3 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 3 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, 2 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, 38 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 4 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 4 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 2 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella and Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella.

Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Another Clouded Magpie was the best macro.

Clouded Magpie, North Elmham, 2nd August

Unusually all the Common Rustic aggs. that were dissected proved to be Lesser Common Rustics (3 - a fourth got away without being determined).

Lesser Common Rustic (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd August

Other macros were 4 Pebble Hook-tips, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, 4 Riband Waves, 4 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 4 Shaded Broad-bars, 3 Common Carpets, 2 Small Rivulets, Tawny Speckled Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, 2 Magpie Moths, Scalloped Oak, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Clouded Silver, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Yellow-tail, 2 Rosy Footmen, 4 Dingy Footmen, 7 Scarce Footmen, 3 Buff Footmen, 12 Common Footmen, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Double Square-spot, 3 Nutmegs, 3 Clays, Grey Dagger, 3 Dun-bars, 7 Dark Arches, Dusky Sallow, 11 Uncertains, Rustic, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Spectacle, 7 Straw Dots and 2 Fan-foots.

Among the Green Lacewings, Dichochrysa ventralis was new for the house (though I'd seen one next door when I trapped there recently).  Also Dichochrysa flavifrons and Chrysoperla carnea agg.

Dichochrysa ventralis, North Elmham, 2nd August

I'm not doing the caddisflies while I'm so far behind with the moths but a Glyphotaelius pellucidus was readily identified in the field.  Among the bugs there were 3 Forest Bugs (aka Red-legged Shieldbugs) and my first Phytocoris varipes of the year.

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 2nd August

Also a couple of new hoppers that I'd not identified before (I thought I had seen the first one before but don't have any records) - Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius and the leafhopper Eupteryx florida.

Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius, North Elmham, 2nd August

Eupteryx florida, North Elmham, 2nd August

I haven't yet managed to work out what this Ichneumon was:

unidentified Ichneumon wasp, North Elmham, 2nd August