Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Slenders and Midgets (Gracillariidae) (part 6: Phyllonorycter III)

SLENDERS and MIDGETS (GRACILLARIIDAE) (continued)


Dark Hornbeam Midget Phyllonorycter esperella - It took me a while to realise that the hedgerow trees by the chapel ruins were Hornbeams but once I figured that out I was able to re-visit and identify the leaf-mine I recorded on them in September 2019.  There were 3 more (at least 2 occupied) in September 2020.

leaf-mine of Dark Hornbeam Midget Phyllonorycter esperella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th September 2019

leaf-mines and larvae of Dark Hornbeam Midgets Phyllonorycter esperella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th September 2020

Grey Alder Midget Phyllonorycter strigulatella - None.  I've never seen this species and I think it's quite scarce in Norfolk, but it's been recorded near here (Beetley area) so there must be half a chance of me catching one here.


Common Alder Midget Phyllonorycter rajella - An exception 3 caught in my garden moth trap on 26th June 2020 and one more on 12th August.  I've only ever caught 3 here before, singles in 2014, 2016 and 2017.  At least 4 leaf-mines at Gypsy Lane (Brancaster) on 14th October 2020.

female Common Alder Midgets Phyllonorycter rajella, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

female Common Alder Midget Phyllonorycter rajella, North Elmham, 12th August 2020

Small Birch Midget Phyllonorycter anderidae - None.  A scarce species in Norfolk but a couple of records in central Norfolk and its foodplant grows in my front garden so hopefully I'll find one round here someday.


Fiery Oak Midget Phyllonorycter lautella - None.  I've not found this species locally yet - cracking little moths so look forward to when I do.


Small Elm Midget Phyllonorycter schreberella - One in my garden moth trap on 30th July 2020 was my first ever, and what a sparkling little beauty was! 

 

Update 2025: Beauty it might have been but with that orange tuft on the vertex, schreberella it was not!  I clearly messed this one up, and looking back I think it has to be klemannella. 

NOT Small Elm Midget Phyllonorycter schreberella, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella - 3 in my garden trap between 25th and 31st July 2019 and 4 between 26th July and 5th August 2020.  I had 3-4 in each of 2017 and 2018 too.

male Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, North Elmham, 31st July 2019

female Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, North Elmham, 26th July 2020

male Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, North Elmham, 4th August 2020

male Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, North Elmham, 5th August 2020

Large Midget Phyllonorycter emberizaepennella - None.  I've never seen this species but although it hasn't been recorded locally it's widespread enough that it ought to be here.


Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella - One on 5th August 2020.  I've only seen this species twice before, both here in 2018.

female Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella, North Elmham, 5th August 2020

Small Alder Midget Phyllonorycter stettinensis - 4 mines at Gypsy Lane, Brancaster in October 2020 were my only record.  I have caught this species at home a couple of times but not since 2016.


Broad-barred Midget Phyllonorycter froelichiella - None.  I've not recorded this here yet but it's not far away (I've found it at Beetley Common) so future records could be expected.


Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii - 3 trapped here between 1st and 9th August 2019, the third consecutive year that I've recorded 3 here, and then an unprecedented 10 here between 30th July and 20th August 2020 (including 3 on 10th August).

male Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, North Elmham, 4th August 2019

male Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, North Elmham, 9th August 2019

female Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

male Red Hazel Midgets Phyllonorycter nicellii, North Elmham, 10th August 2020

male Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, North Elmham, 15th August 2020

Dark Alder Midget Phyllonorycter klemannella - None.  I've only caught this one at home once, in 2018.


Honeysuckle Midget Phyllonorycter trifasciella - One in my garden trap on 16th July was new for the garden.  None in 2020.

Honeysuckle Midget Phyllonorycter trifasciella, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

Next page: more Gracillariidae

A few good seconds

Two new moths for the year on 7th August were both second records for the garden: Large Lance-wing Epermenia falciformis and Little Conch Cochylis dubitana.

Large Lance-wing Epermenia falciformis, North Elmham, 7th August

Little Conch Cochylis dubitana, North Elmham, 7th August

The most numerous moths were 76 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella. This was the peak count of the year and a record count for me.

Other moths were 2 Bordered Carls Coptotriche marginea, probable Skin Moth Monopis laevigella (would have been new for the year if it hadn't escaped before I could confirm it), 2 Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella, 2 Blackthorn Slenders Parornix torquillella, Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Honeysuckle Moth Ypsolopha dentella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 3 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, 8 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Knapweed Conches Agapeta zoegana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 5 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Blotched Marbles Endothenia quadrimaculana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 23 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 7 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Flame Carpet, 4 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, Lime-speck Pug, Double-striped Pug, Dusky Thorn, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Turnip Moths, 3 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Straw Underwing, Dun-bar, Lesser Common Rustic, 2 Flounced Rustics and 4 Straw Dots.

Mayflies, lacewings and caddisflies consisted of 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, Cunctochrysa albolineata, Hemerobius humulinus, Hemerobius lutescens, 2 Micromus variegatus, 2 Ithytrichia lamellaris, Hydropsyche pellucidula, 5 Hydropsyche siltalai, 2 Limnephilus auricula and Leptocerus tineiformis.

Among the bugs Compsidolon salicellum was only my second.  Others were Birch Shieldbug, Forest Bug, Tarnished Plant Bug Lygus rugulipennis, Trigonotylus caelestialium and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis.  There was also the psyllid Cacopsylla brunneipennis which was technically the first one I identified as this species.  However in the process of identifying it I realised that it was very probably the same species as one I had identified as Cacopsylla pulchra from 27th July.  I'd been a little doubtful about that ID so it was good to get a second chance to nail it.

Compsidolon salicellum, North Elmham, 7th August

Cacopsylla brunneipennis (female), North Elmham, 7th August

Beetles consisted of Amara apricaria, 6 Bradycellus verbasci, Aphodius rufipes and Harlequin Ladybird.  There were also 7 Hornets.

Hornets, North Elmham, 7th August

There were 3 new moths the following night and again they were all second records for the garden.  In fact the first two were my second records anywhere.  They were Rowan Slender Parornix scoticella, Black-tipped Ermine Yponomeuta plumbella and Gorse Groundling Mirificarma mulinella.

Rowan Slender Parornix scoticella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th August

Black-tipped Ermine Yponomeuta plumbella, North Elmham, 8th August

Gorse Groundling Mirificarma mulinella, North Elmham, 8th August

Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella was also my second ever, following my first just six nights earlier.  Poplar Cosmet Batrachedra praeangusta was another species I had seen for the first time this year with two here in the garden and one elsewhere.

Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th August

Poplar Cosmet Batrachedra praeangusta, North Elmham, 8th August

The rest of the moths that night were 2 Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella, Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, 2 Blackthorn Slenders Parornix torquillella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 11 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 68 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, 2 Orange Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Common Carpets, Tawny Speckled Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Magpie Moths, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 5 Dusky Thorns, 4 Willow Beauties, Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Turnip Moths, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 3 Flame Shoulders, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 9 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Cabbage Moth, Common Wainscot, Common Rustic, 5 Flounced Rustics, 2 Vine's Rustics and 7 Straw Dots.

Mayflies, lacewings and caddisflies were 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, Dichochrysa flavifrons, Dichochrysa prasina, Conwentzia psociformis, Hydropsyche pellucidula and Limnephilus lunatus.

Birch Shieldbug was the only bug, Bradycellus verbasci and Aphodius rufipes the only beetles and there were 4 Hornets and a Common Wasp.

Things then took a turn for the worse and the night of 9th August was dire: just 41 moths of 14 species: Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 22 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Willow Beauty, Turnip Moth, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Six-striped Rustic, Straw Underwing, 4 Flounced Rustics and 3 Straw Dots.

The only other insects I noted were Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus lunatus and 2 Hornets.

If that was bad then the following night was even worse - just 9 species of moth!  They were Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 25 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Orange Swifts, Willow Beauty, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Six-striped Rustic, Common Wainscot and 2 Flounced Rustics.

There was also the caddisfly Limnephilus marmoratus, a Hornet and a Common Frog.

Next day I went to Titchwell where the main focus was birds.  But on the way out I stopped at In-focus to pick up my eye-piece that had been in for repairs.  The buddleia in their car park was full of butterflies but among them was something smaller.  Eventually I got a good enough look at it - it was a Gold Spot, and clearly very much at home among the butterflies feeding in the sunshine.

That night there was a slight improvement in numbers of moths though none were new for the year.  There were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 2 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 56 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Orange Swifts, Single-dotted Wave, Flame Carpet, 2 Double-striped Pugs, Magpie Moth, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, Buff Ermine, 2 Flame Shoulders, 4 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Six-striped Rustics, Straw Underwing, Dun-bar, Vine's Rustic and 6 Straw Dots.

Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii (male, gen det), North Elmham, 11th August

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 11th August

Lacewings and caddisflies consisted of Hemerobius humulinus, Hemerobius lutescens, 4 Micromus variegatus, Hydropsyche siltalai, 3 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis and 2 Limnephilus lunatus.

There was one new insect for the year among the beetles, a 10-spot Ladybird - in fact only my second here I think.  Other beetles were Amara apricaria and Nicrophorus investigator.

10-spot Ladybird, North Elmham, 11th August

It's been a good year for Hornets and they peaked in the garden this night with a total of 10 in the moth trap.

Saltmarsh meets North Elmham, a scarce barkfly, a new bug and a new beetle

2018 seems to have been an exceptional year for saltmarsh species making their way inland.  I have already blogged about a surprise Silver-streaked Case-bearer Coleophora limoniella that turned up here on 23rd July, one of 3 inland records in July of a species that had never turned up inland in Norfolk before.  I've also already blogged about a Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii at Derby Fen in June, and very soon I'll be writing about another one at home - again in a year when other observers have also recorded unusual numbers of these inland.  Well there was one more saltmarsh surprise in my North Elmham trap on 3rd August - a Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella.  This is another very unexpected record - until this year the furthest inland records in Norfolk were at Catfield Fen in the Broads and at Dersingham.  There was another at Derby Fen on 8th August but this one is by far the furthest inland record there has been in Norfolk...

Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Small Waved Umber was only my second here, indeed only my third anywhere, and Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella was also only my second here.

Small Waved Umber, North Elmham, 3rd August

Other moths new for the year were Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana and 2 Tawny Speckled Pugs.

Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, North Elmham, 3rd August

Tawny Speckled Pug, North Elmham, 3rd August

Other micros were 3 Bordered Carls Coptotriche marginea, Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 2 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, 2 Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermine agg. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, 2 Wainscot Smudges Ypsolopha scabrella, 6 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, 4 House Nebs Bryotropha domestica, 7 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 45 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 48 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 8 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella, 2 Beautiful Plumes Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

The rest of the macros were 2 Orange Swifts, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Riband Waves, Flame Carpet, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, 5 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, 2 Maple Pugs, Lime-speck Pug, Bordered Beauty, Early Thorn, 2 Scalloped Oaks, 5 Willow Beauties, Poplar Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 4 Dingy Footmen, Ruby Tiger, 3 Turnip Moths, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 8 Flame Shoulders, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 8 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Six-striped Rustics, Cabbage Moth, Common Wainscot, Marbled Beauty, 4 Straw Underwings, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, Twin-spotted Wainscot, Fen Wainscot, Rustic and 22 Straw Dots.

Mayflies included what I think is a Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus, but although I identified this at the time and let it go I omitted to add it to my notes or caption the photo, so I'm now having to identify it again from the photos which I never like doing with mayflies.  Also 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita.

Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus, North Elmham, 3rd August

There was a good selection of green and brown lacewings: 2 Chrysoperla carnea, 2 Cunctochrysa albolineata, Dichochrysa flavifrons, Hemerobius lutescens and Micromus variegatus.

Among the caddisflies Athripsodes albifrons was new for the year; there were also 2 Ithytrichia lamellaris, 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 3 Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus auricula and 1-2 Athripsodes aterrimus.

Athripsodes albifrons, North Elmham, 3rd August

The best of the bugs was Atractotomus parvulus, a new species for me.

Atractotomus parvulus (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Deraeocoris lutescens was also new for the year, and other bugs were  Birch Shieldbug, Blepharidopterus angulatus and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis.

Deraeocoris lutescens, North Elmham, 3rd August

This barkfly was eventually identified as Valenzuela piceus, a scarce species according to the National Barkfly Recording Scheme.  There are only 9 records on NBN for the whole country, the nearest being in the Cambridge area, but that doesn't always mean a great deal as barkflies are one of the taxa that aren't well represented in NBN.

Valenzuela piceus, North Elmham, 3rd August

Among the beetles there were a dozen or so Bradycellus sp.  Usually these turn out to be Bradycellus verbasci and one of the two I retained did just so.  As soon as I looked at the other one under the microscope I had a feeling it was a different species and so it proved - my first Bradycellus harpalinus.  Other beetles included an Ophonus sp. that I couldn't quite resolve and another Aphodius rufipes.

Bradycellus harpalinus (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

A quick visit to the meadows produced Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla and a 7-spot Ladybird.