Schreckensteiniella festaliella (or Bramble False-feather)

On Monday 8th May this Yellow-triangle Slender Caloptilia alchimiella was new for the year.  There were also 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Garden Carpet, Streamer, Brindled Pug, Muslin Moth, Cinnabar and Flame Shoulder, and I'd had a Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana in the house earlier. A Common Toad in the garden was also new for the year.

Yellow-triangle Slender Caloptilia alchimiella (male, gen det), North Elmahm, 8th May

The following evening I found this Nut Leaf Blister Moth Phyllonorycter coryli on my front door.   I also found 2 Varied Carpet Beetles in the house but with a frosty night there wasn't a single moth in the moth trap the following morning - really crazy to be getting nil returns at this time of year - come on spring!

Nut Leaf Blister Moth Phyllonorycter coryli (female, gen det), North Elmahm, 9th May

On Wednesday 10th Dave and I headed down to Frost's Common to see what we could find. The highlight was a Bramble False-feather Schreckensteinia festaliella, a new species and a new family for both of us and quite a distinctive looking moth.

Bramble False-feather Schreckensteinia festaliella, Frost's Common, 10th May

Other moths were Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella, Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericiella and 12 Horse Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella but it seemed quieter than expected.  Quite a few butterflies: Large White, 2 Green-veined Whites, 10 Orange-tips, 12 Brimstones, 2 Small Coppers, 4 Holly Blues, 2 Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and 3 Speckled Woods.  Dragonflies were well represented too with perhaps 120 Large Red Damselflies, Hairy Dragonfly and Four-spotted Chaser (plus Dave saw an unspecified blue damselfly).  I'd have liked to have seen the Hairy Dragonfly better - I don't see many of these and haven't had a decent look at one for decades.

I retained two beetles for checking, both proving to be Phyllobius weevils: Phyllobius maculicornis and Phyllobius pyri.

Phyllobius pyri, Frost's Common, 10th May

Phyllobius maculicornis, Frost's Common, 10th May

We then had a quick look at Thompson Water though didn't stay long as the wind was getting up.  Long enough to see over 100 Azure Damselflies that had recently emerged.  Also more Brimstones and Orange-tips.

Azure Damselflies, Thompson Water, 10th May

Dave had to head off but I stopped at Lolly Moor on the way back, expecting it to be more sheltered.  It's a good site for Grass Rivulet and I saw at least 8 (probably a fair few more) including this mating pair.

Grass Rivulets, Lolly Moor, 10th May

It's also the site where I saw my first Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella and I saw another one here this time.

Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella, Lolly Moor, 10th May

Another species we recorded here last year was Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana, though its a hard one to separate from its congener Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana.  I saw at least a couple that I thought were Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana and the male I retained for checking did indeed have a dark hindwing (the genitalia only confirm it was one or the other but the hindwing clinches it).  I collected another one from a slightly drier thistly part of the moor and it crossed my mind that it might be scutulana, and sure enough the hindwing was pale - it was a Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana.  Good to know both species are present on site but it will make recording them harder!  The scutulana was paler overall and had slightly more white towards the tornus than the cirsiana which is typically the case (though probably not reliable except where there's a lot more).  The differences were subtle though perhaps a little more obvious in life than they seem in the photos.

Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana (male, hindwing checked), Lolly Moor, 10th May

Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana (male, hindwing checked), Lolly Moor, 10th May

Other moths here were 7 Plain Golds Micropterix calthella, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Bittersweet Smudge Acrolepia autumnitella and Common Marble Celypha lacunana.

Bittersweet Smudge Acrolepia autumnitella, Lolly Moor, 10th May

There was Large Red Damselfly here too, and Orange-tip and Comma plus a few Turnip Sawflies Athalia rosae.

Comma, Lolly Moor, 10th May

Orange-tip, Lolly Moor, 10th May

Turnip Sawfly, Lolly Moor, 10th May

Only 3 moths in the trap that night - a new-for-the-year Spectacle and 2 Muslin Moths.  Also 2 Common Earwigs.

Spectacle, North Elmham, 10th May

The end of a good day's insecting

After a good day insecting at Burnham Overy, New Costessey and Queen's Hill I decided to have a quick look on the patch for birds and moths.  Not many of either seen, indeed the only moth was a probable Skin Moth Monopis laevigella that got away before I could confirm the ID.  But there were some interesting insects inlcuding a new Hoverfly for me, Xylota segnis, and a new Bee for me, Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica.

Xylota segnis, near Bittering, 28th May

Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica, near Bittering, 28th May

Beetles included a pair of Common Leaf Weevils Phyllobius pyri and at least 2 Cantharis nigricans.

Common Leaf Weevils Phyllobius pyri, near Bittering, 28th May

Cantharis nigricans, near Bittering, 28th May

A Scorpion Fly turned out to be my first confirmed Panorpa communis, so that's both common Scorpion Fly species seen at the same site recently.

Panorpa communis, near Bittering, 28th May

This young Shieldbug appears to be a mid instar (I think, or possibly early instar?) Forest Bug (aka Red-legged Shieldbug).

Forest Bug (aka Red-legged Shieldbug), near Bittering, 28th May

I thought this fly might be distinctive enough to allow me to identify it, but I'm not sure.  Possibly Anopheles maculipennis...?

unidentified fly, possibly Anopheles maculipennis, near Bittering, 28th May

Harlequin Ladybird, near Bittering, 28th May

With only 17 species of moth in the trap that night I did well to notch up 8 new for the year: Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Hook-streaked Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Oak Hook-tip, Blood-vein, Common Marbled Carpet and Brown Rustic.

Blood-vein, North Elmham, 28th May

Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham, 28th May

Common Marbled Carpet, North Elmham, 28th May

Brown Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, North Elmham, 28th May

Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, North Elmham, 28th May

Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, North Elmham, 28th May

The other 9 species were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Swift, Silver-ground Carpet, Yellow-barred Brindle, Pale Tussock, 3 White Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 2 Rustic Shoulder-knots and 6 Treble Lines. Caddisflies were represented by Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus sparsus.

A new site for Bluebell Conch, on my patch

Recently Matthew Casey discovered multiple Bluebell Conches Hysterophora maculosana at different sites in Ringland and Costessey, a significant discovery given that there have only been two records in the county since 1881.  Even more unusual for a micro, the discovery generated quite a bit of interest with several moth-ers going to see and photograph them.  I resisted the temptation and decided to go and find my own, so when there was a glimmer of sunshine on Thursday I headed for a small patch of bluebells on the local patch.  I was joined by Dave, and almost as soon as I reached the bluebells I scored.  Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana under the belt, on my patch and a new site for this supposedly-rare species.  It's also the first post-Victorian record for the vice-county.  Great stuff!

Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana, near Bittering, 19th May

We continued hunting through the patch of bluebells but couldn't find any more, except possibly one that Dave saw in flight but didn't manage to catch.

Other moths at this site included Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, 8 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella and Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana.

Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella, near Bittering, 19th May

Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana, near Bittering, 19th May

Also this caterpillar appears to be Yellow-tail.

Yellow-tail, near Bittering, 19th May

Moths weren't the only attraction.  We did quite well for beetles too - here are a selection:

Red-headed Cardinal, near Bittering, 19th May

Green Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus, near Bittering, 19th May

Common Leaf Weavil Phyllobius pyri, near Bittering, 19th May

10-spot Ladybird, near Bittering, 19th May

14-spot Ladybird, near Bittering, 19th May

Among the hoverflies I identified were some Leucozona lucorum.

Leucozona lucorum, near Bittering, 19th May

This Scorpion Fly, my first this year, gave me a chance to learn new ID skills (though it did have to sacrifice itself in the process).

Panorpa germanica (female, gen det), near Bittering, 19th May

It was the Bees that gave me the most new species, if only because I've not spent much effort identifying Bees until the recent publication of Falk & Lewington's excellent field guide on Bees.  Four Bees retained for checking proved to be male and female Orange-tailed Mining Bees, Wilke's Mining Bee and the very striking Lathbury's Nomad Bee, all species I had not identified previously.

[Edit 2023 - the Nomad Bee was misidentified - I think it's a Flavous Nomad Bee and it certainly isn't a Lathbury's]

Orange-tailed Mining Bees Andrena haemorrhoa (male above, female below), near Bittering, 19th May

Wilke's Mining Bee Andrena wilkella, near Bittering, 19th May

[2023 edit: probably Flavous Nomad Bee Nomada flava], near Bittering, 19th May