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

Dotted Chestnut

There weren't so many moths on 23rd April but they did include a Dotted Chestnut, my second here following my first last spring.  As the species spreads northwards I shouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be annual going forward.

Dotted Chestnut, North Elmham, 23rd April

Another Lunar Marbled Brown was noteworthy - my third this year of a species I only added to my garden list last year.  Also trapped were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Frosted Green, Brindled Pug, 2 Brindled Beauties, 2 Common Quakers, 5 Hebrew Characters, 2 Chrysoperla carnea agg. and a Common Wasp.

Common Wasp, North Elmham, 23rd April

The next night there were just 5 moths in the trap: Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana (new for the year), Early Thorn, Brindled Beauty and 2 Hebrew Characters.  A Brown-lipped Snail was the first I'd noticed this year.

Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, North Elmham, 24th April

Next day I returned to the meadows.  It was relatively unproductive but there were 3 species of hoverfly: Melanostoma scalare, Platycheirus albimanus and Syrphus ribesii.

Melanostoma scalare, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

Platycheirus albimanus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

Syrphus ribesii, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

Another ant proved to be Small Black Ant Lasius niger - that's probably the two commonest ant species knocked off now - I wonder how hard it will be to find any others?

Small Black Ant Lasius niger, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

I think this yellow mushroom must be a Yellow Fieldcap, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

Yellow Fieldcap, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

There is a good display of Cowslips in the wildflower meadow.

Cowslips, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

I found some Rue-leaved Saxifrage growing on the chapel ruins, along with plenty of Ivy-leaved Toadflax.

Rue-leaved Saxifrage, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

Ivy-leaved Toadflax, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

This tree growing near the chapel doesn't look like an ordinary Cypress to me - I'm erring more on the side of Nootka Cypress, but if anyone can confirm or put me right please let me know.

possible Nootka Cypress, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

I think these sheep thought I was going to feed them.  They were disappointed.

sheep, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th April

That night 3 Hebrew Characters were the only moths in the trap but there was also another Springtail, Orchesella cincta again I think.

Orchesella cincta, North Elmham, 25th April

A fractionally warmer night on 26th secured a small number of moths: Brindled Beauty, Muslin Moth, 2 Hebrew Characters and Nut-tree Tussock. Also a hoverfly Melanostoma scalare, my first here this year.

Early the next morning I popped up to the Cathedral Meadows where I found my first moths for the site at last.  At least 6 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella (2 retained and confirmed) were flying around nettles beneath a beech tree, at least 2 Common Thorn Midgets Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae were flying around the track flanked by Hawthorn and a Common Oak Purple Dyseriocrania subpurpurella was flying beneath oaks on the railway.  Although I'd already counted an unconfirmed example the oxyacanthae were my first confirmed individuals of this species anywhere.

Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 27th April

Common Thorn Midget Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae (male, gen det), North Elmham, 27th April

Common Oak Purple Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, North Elmham, 27th April

I then went to the patch at Bittering and saw my third Pyllonorycter species of the morning, a White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella.

Later that day I found my first Waxfly of the year, inside my study.  It was a Conwentzia sp., but like every other Conwentzia I've caught it was a female and so cannot be identified to species-level.

Conwentzia sp. (female), North Elmham, 27th April

That night there were no moths in the trap but 2 more hoverflies, both Melanostoma scalare.  Nothing at all the following night and just 1 Hebrew Character and another Melanostoma scalare on 29th.

Bluebell Conch, a new hoverfly and some beetles

I forgot to add this photo of a Muslin Moth to my last post - I don't recall seeing the pale patches on this species before though it seems that they do vary a bit in this respect.

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 10th May

On 11th May I discovered Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella on Garlic Mustard at Ryburgh, only the second site I've seen this species.  Also Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana.

Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella, Ryburgh, 11th May

I then headed up to Thursford Wood where I hoped to find two scarce Norfolk species - Hysterophora maculosana on the Bluebells and, a bit more ambitiously as there are no modern records in Norfolk, Coleophora lutarea on the Greater Stitchwort.  The bluebells were beautiful but I couldn't find either species among them.

Bluebells, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I did find a few moths including 5 Large Long-horns Nematopogon swammerdamella, Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella, Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericiella and 2 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella.  But it wasn't until I'd left the main bluebell area and was walking through a relatively bare patch of woodland that I spotted one of my targets, Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana in flight, and duly netted it to confirm. Looks like this may only be the third vice-county record following two last year (the first of which I found at Bittering).

Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I also saw a Maiden's Blush near the rhododendrons which were looking splendid.

Maiden's Blush, Thursford Wood, 11th May

Rhododendron, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I also found this bug which I eventually resolved as Anthocoris nemorum, a species I'd not identified previously.

Anthocoris nemorum, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I saw one Large Red Damselfly here and 10 more at Brancaster where I headed next (along with 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana) and another at Titchwell Chalkpit.

As yet I haven't been able to put a name to this spider at home:

unidentified Spider, North Elmham, 11th May

That night was better than of late with 19 moths of 14 species, though still pretty rubbish for this time of year.  New for the year here were 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Small Magpie Anania hortulata and 2 Common Pugs. The others were 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, Cinnabar, Flame Shoulder and Hebrew Character.  There was also the caddisfly Glyphotaelius pellucidus and a Black Sexton Beetle.

Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 11th May

Small Magpie Anania hortulata, North Elmham, 11th May

Common Pug, North Elmham, 11th May

Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, North Elmham, 11th May

Next day I headed up to Burnham Overy where Stoat and Natterjack were among the non-avian highlights.  Moths consisted of Plain Fanner Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Yellow Belle and 2 Cinnabars - and quite a few Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella larvae.

Yellow Belle, Burnham Overy, 12th May

I stopped off at Ryburgh on the way home and found 3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and a Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella.  There was also a Common Carder Bee and the hoverfly Platycheirus manicatus, a new one for me.

Platycheirus manicatus, Ryburgh, 12th May

I retained 3 beetles for identifying at home.  Perhaps I should have been able to manage the Cantharis decipiens in the field (where I think it was one of a number on Hawthorn flowers) but I certainly wouldn't have been able to do the other two without careful keying out under the microscope - unsurprisingly (as I haven't been doing this for long) both were new to me: the ground beetle Amara anthobia and the leaf beetle Phaedon armoraciae.

Cantharis decipiens, Ryburgh, 12th May

Amara anthobia, Ryburgh, 12th May

Phaedon armoraciae, Ryburgh, 12th May