Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Slenders and Midgets (Gracillariidae) (part 5: Phyllonorycter II)

SLENDERS and MIDGETS (GRACILLARIIDAE) (continued)


Sloe Midget Phyllonorycter spinicolella - None in 2019 but I caught 3 in my garden moth trap between 30th July and 20th August 2020, doubling the number I've recorded here (the others all being in 2017-18).  Also one potted from a hedge at the meadows on 3rd August 2020.

female Sloe Midget Phyllonorycter spinicolella, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

female Sloe Midget Phyllonorycter spinicolella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

male Sloe Midget Phyllonorycter spinicolella, North Elmham, 20th August 2020

Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella - A male at Laura's in Hellesdon on 14th July 2019 and a leaf-mine at the meadows on 20th June 2020.  None at home but I've had 2 here before, both in 2017.

male Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella, Hellesdon, 14th July 2019

leaf-mine of Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th June 2020

Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella - One in my garden trap on 25th July 2019.  They're not regular here - singles in 2016 and 2017 are my only other records.  Also 2 netted at the meadows on 13th July 2020 and one to light there on 7th August.  Leaf-mines found at the meadows in October 2019 and September 2020.

Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

leaf-mine of Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th October 2019

Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2020

Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

leaf-mine of Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th September 2020

Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella - Singles at home on 12th and 28th September 2019 and on 4 dates between 12th June and 22nd September 2020.  This species is annual here but never numerous - the 4 in 2020 was my highest total so far.

Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, North Elmham, 12th September 2019

male Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

female Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, North Elmham, 22nd August 2020

Willow Midget Phyllonorycter viminiella - I did 3 nights' trapping in my next-door neighbour's garden in 2019 primarily in order to show their visiting grandchildren some moths, which they seem to enjoy.  It's amazing how different the moths are here, just a few yards away from my own garden trapping site.  The previous time I even managed a moth that I've never seen here (or anywhere else), Large Clover Case-bearer Coleophora trifolii and this time I did it again with my first adult Phyllonorycter viminiella, on 7th August.  In 2020 I finally added it to my own garden list with one caught on 31st July.

male Willow Midget Phyllonorycter viminiella, North Elmham, 7th August 2019

male Willow Midget Phyllonorycter viminiella, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Long-streak Midget Phyllonorycter salicicolella - One in the garden trap on 31st July 2019.  The genitalia were checked but females are tricky even so.  I'm not completely sure the genitalia eliminated hilarella, but supported by external features (e.g. shape of the basal streak, the absence of white at the rear of the vertex) I think the ID is safe.  I've had 3 here before but they're not annual and none found in 2020.

female Long-streak Midget Phyllonorycter salicicolella, North Elmham, 31st July 2019

Sallow Midget Phyllonorycter hilarella - None.  I've never seen this species and there aren't all that many records in the county but there's no reason why it shouldn't occur locally.  The same could be perhaps be said for the even scarcer Southern Midget Phyllonorycter dubitella.


Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella - I think this is the commonest Phyllonorycter in my garden, not very surprisingly since there's a Beech hedge just next to where I trap.  8 in my garden trap between 30th June and 17th August 2019 and 27 between 18th May and 23rd August 2020.  That's my highest annual total, although not far ahead of 24 in 2018.  Also singles at the meadows on 21st April 2019 and 27th April 2020, and mines here in October 2019 and May and September 2020.

female Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st April 2019

leaf-mine of Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 9th October 2019

male Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th April 2020

male Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th June 2020

male Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

male Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th July 2020

male Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd July 2020

Nut-leaf Blister Moth Phyllonorycter coryli - Caught in the garden moth trap on 30th July and 4th August 2020.  Given that next-door's Hazel tree overhangs my garden I would expect to catch more of these than I do but these were my first since 2017.  2 netted in the Millennium Wood in North Elmham on 6th May 2019.  Also occupied mines at the meadows and at Swanton Novers in 2019.

male Nut-leaf Blister Moth Phyllonorycter coryli, Millennium Wood, North Elmham, 6th May 2019

male Nut-leaf Blister Moth Phyllonorycter coryli, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

female Nut-leaf Blister Moth Phyllonorycter coryli, North Elmham, 4th August 2020

Next page: more Gracillariidae

Summer Fruit Tortrix

A Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella was new for the year on 14th August.

Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, North Elmham, 14th August

Other moths were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, 2 Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella, New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 53 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, 4 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Maiden's Blush, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Common Carpets, Grey Pine Carpet, Lime-speck Pug, Currant Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, 5 Double-striped Pugs, 4 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 4 Dusky Thorns, Light Emerald, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Common Wainscot, 3 Copper Underwings, Straw Underwing, 15 Flounced Rustics and 6 Straw Dots.

Square-spotted Clay, North Elmham, 14th August

The only mayfly was a Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum and the brown lacewings were 2 Hemerobius lutescens and Micromus variegatus.  Among the caddisflies Lype phaeopa was new for the year; the others were Crunoecia irrorata, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Molanna angustata.

Lype phaeopa (female), North Elmham, 14th August

A Birch Shieldbug was the only bug but beetles included one new for the house - the weevil Curculio venosus - and one new for the year - the water beetle Ilybius ater.  Other beetles were Amara apricaria and 10 Bradycellus verbasci.

Curculio venosus, North Elmham, 14th August

Ilybius ater, North Elmham, 14th August

The following night was good with a totally new moth for me in the garden trap - a Summer Fruit Tortrix Adoxophyes orana.  Up to this decade there were just 5 records of this species in Norfolk, 3 of which were in 1953.  Things picked up a bit recently with a further 10 records prior to 2018 when there was another the same night as mine and another two nights later.

Summer Fruit Tortrix Adoxophyes orana, North Elmham, 15th August

Another new moth for the year was Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella - just my fourth record of this species.  A Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella was my third this year but numerically the best moth of the night - although my sixth it is only Norfolk's 14th record.  I suspect macro fans will be more impressed by the Butterbur though.

Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella, North Elmham, 15th August

Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 15th August

Butterbur, North Elmham, 15th August

Other moths that night were Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, 61 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Single-dotted Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Currant Pug, 6 Double-striped Pugs, Scorched Carpet, Latticed Heath, 3 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, 2 Willow Beauties, Light Emerald, Swallow Prominent, 7 Flame Shoulders, 5 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Six-striped Rustics, Common Wainscot, Copper Underwing, Straw Underwing, Angle Shades, Common Rustic, 12 Flounced Rustics, 4 Vine's Rustics, 6 Straw Dots and Snout.

Mayflies were 2 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum and 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. There was a great selection of lacewings: 2 Chrysopa commata, 2 Chrysoperla carnea (plus a presumed female), Dichochrysa flavifrons, 2 Dichochrysa prasina, Hemerobius humulinus, Hemerobius lutescens and 6 Micromus variegatus. Also a waxfly that was almost certainly Conwentzia psociformis - currently female Conwentzia cannot be positively identified but all the males I've recorded have been psociformis. Moreover it is thought that the number of segments in the antennae may prove a reliable means of separating females, in which case the 37 segments would confirm this was psociformis. Caddisflies were 4 Hydropsyche siltalai and Leptocerus tineiformis.  There were 3 Birch Shieldbugs including a pair copulating, the leafhopper Lamprotettix nitidulus and another Curculio venosus,

Lamprotettix nitidulus, North Elmham, 15th August

Curculio venosus, North Elmham, 15th August

Pale November Moth and confusing fungi

Dave and I had seen one or two moths briefly at Caister on 26th which we didn't determine but which we suspected might have been Vapourers.  Next day I saw another at Burnham Overy and this time got a good enough look at it to confirm - it was indeed a Vapourer.

The fungi at Burnham Overy were interesting, but again showed up my inability to identify mushrooms.  I'd heard that Collared Earthstars are in the dunes and thought I might have found some, but they didn't seem to show much of a collar.  Are they Collared?  The ones in the books look more collared than these, but does the collar develop later, or are these something else?  Well thanks to James I now know that they are indeed Collared Earthstar - a new one for me.

Collared Earthstars, Burnham Overy, 27th October

Even more intriguing was this thing which having thumbed through my fungi guides I could only suggest Black Morel.  I realised that was unlikely as it's supposed to fruit in spring and the habitat was wrong, but couldn't find any better matches.  Well I should have trusted my initial instinct as Stinkhorn crossed my mind when I first saw it, but it looks so different from the Stinkhorns in my books.  Thanks to James I now know it is Dune Stinkhorn - I presume that's the same as Sand Stinkhorn Phallus hadriani.  In my defence only two of my four fungus ID books feature that species and only one illustrates it - an example with a far longer stem and shorter cap (the other book does describe it more helpfully, but only as a footnote under the commoner Stinkhorn species).

Dune Stinkhorn, Burnham Overy, 27th October

Moths that night included no less than 5 Sprawlers.  Also Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 2 Red-green Carpets, November Moth agg. and Mottled Umber.

Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, North Elmham, 27th October

Mottled Umber, North Elmham, 27th October

The next night was rubbish - just 2 Sprawlers.

The night of 29th brought my first Pale November Moth of the autumn.  Also Common Marbled Carpet, 3 Feathered Thorns, 3 Sprawlers, Green-brindled Crescent, Yellow-line Quaker and Beaded Chestnut.

Pale November Moth (male, gen det), North Elmham, 29th October

Quiet start to September

September started quite poorly, which is pretty much how it was for most of the month so far as moths are concerned.  A Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana was new for the garden year list on 1st but apart from that not a lot else: 2 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Brimstone Moths, Light Emerald, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, Six-striped Rustic, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 16 Flounced Rustics, 2 Vine's Rustics, 2 Straw Dots and Snout.

Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana, North Elmham 1st September

The next night was even worse: 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Single-dotted Wave, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Currant Pug, Treble-bar, Common Wave, Light Emerald, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Angle Shades, 2 Flounced Rustics, 2 Vine's Rustics, Burnished Brass, Spectacle and Straw Dot.

Angle Shades, North Elmham 2nd September

Common Wave, North Elmham 2nd September

Currant Pug, North Elmham 2nd September

Centre-barred Sallow was new for the year on 3rd.

Centre-barred Sallow, North Elmham 3rd September

Other stuff was Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 3 Orange Swifts, Currant Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 2 Turnip Moths, 24 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 3 Small Square-spots, Square-spot Rustic, 2 Flounced Rustics, Silver Y and Spectacle.

The 4th only produced 3 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, 2 Treble-bars, 2 Brimstone Moths, 6 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Centre-barred Sallow and Copper Underwing.

Copper Underwing (male, gen det), North Elmham 4th September

5th September was a similar story: Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 2 Green Carpets, 4 Brimstone Moths, Light Emerald, 14 Large Yellow Underwings, 8 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Square-spot Rustics, Centre-barred Sallow, 8 Flounced Rustics and Spectacle.

On 6th September Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella was new for the year.

 Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, North Elmham 6th September

Other moths that night were Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 9 Flounced Rustics and Vine's Rustic.