Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Geometers (Geometridae) - part 4: Carpets III (Pennithera to Dysstroma)

GEOMETERS (GEOMETRIDAE) (continued)


Pine Carpet Pennithera firmata - Singles here on 24th September and 5th October 2019 and 1st August and 27th September 2020, making it 4 consecutive years that I've trapped 2 here (before that one in 2016 and none in 2014/15).  Elsewhere singles at Swanton Great Wood and Row Heath (West Runton) on 27th and 31st August 2019 and one at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020.

Pine Carpet, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 5th October 2019

Spruce Carpet Thera britannica - Singles here on 23rd October and 2nd November 2019, 2 on 27th May and one on 18th October 2020.  That's about average here.  Elsewhere singles at Swanton Great Wood and Row Heath (West Runton) on 27th and 31st August 2019.

Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd October 2019

Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 27th May 2020

male Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 18th October 2020

Grey Pine Carpet Thera obeliscata - Despite having averaged about 7 a year I didn't catch any of these at home in 2019 and only 3 in 2020 (21st May and 14th and 15th August).  A few elsewhere including one at the meadows on 22nd April 2019, one at Bintree Wood, 6 at Hills and Holes, 6 at Row Heath (West Runton), one in Cornwall and singles at 3 sites on Mull.  One or two of the latter (shown below) were types that I find quite tricky to tell apart from Spruce Carpet - fortunately they were males enabling me to check their diagnostic antennae.

male Grey Pine Carpet, Carsaig (Mull), 13th June

male Grey Pine Carpet, Ceann Chnocain (Mull), 13th June - showing the diagnostic antenna

Grey Pine Carpet, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Juniper Carpet Thera juniperata - None.  This is a rare example of a moth that I caught regularly at my last house in Bawdeswell (25 in the bedroom between 2007 and 2013) but which I haven't caught at all since moving to North Elmham in 2014.


Blue-bordered Carpet Plemyria rubiginata - Singles in the garden on 23rd July 2019 (my latest ever record, though only by a day) and 24th June 2020.  I just about record this here annually with a total of 9 since 2015.

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 24th June 2020

Barred Yellow Cidaria fulvata - 6 caught in the garden between 24th June and 5th July 2019 and then just 2 in 2020, on 22nd and 26th June.  About 8 is average.  Elsewhere one at the meadows, one at Weybourne and 4 at Brancaster.

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 27th June 2019

Barred Yellow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 22nd June 2020

Broken-barred Carpet Electrophaes corylata - None in 2019, my first blank year since moving here, and just 2 in 2020, on 18th and 20th May.  I had caught 3-4 in the garden in each of the previous 4 years.

Broken-barred Carpet, North Elmham, 18th May 2020

Purple Bar Cosmorrhoe ocellata - 3 caught in my garden between 21st and 30th August 2019 and 6 between 30th July and 22nd August 2020.  Also one next door, 2 at Bintree Wood and one at Sculthorpe Moor (26th April 2019).  A fairly typical showing.


Phoenix Eulithis prunata - One in my garden trap on 26th July 2019 but none in 2020.  I recorded 13 here in 2 years (2016-17) but none in 2018 so this species seems to be quite erratic in its occurrence here.  Elsewhere one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019, my latest ever record.

Phoenix, North Elmham, 26th July 2019

Chevron Eulithis testata - None in 2019; one in the garden on 11th August 2020 was a first for the garden.  The only other relatively local example that I've ever caught was one at my old house in Bawdeswell back in 2010.

Chevron, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Spinach Eulithis mellinata -None.  This was one of the biggest holes in my moth list until 2018 but it remains a gap in my garden list despite there being a record from the other moth-trapper in my street.


Barred Straw Gandaritis pyraliata - Totals of 61 in the garden between 22nd June and 14th July 2019 and 57 between 13th June and 12th July, including a record count of 9 on 5th July 2019.  Despite the record the overall numbers were average.  Elsewhere 9 at the meadows (5 nights), one at Bintree Wood and one at Hellesdon.

Barred Straw, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Barred Straw, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Barred Straw, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata - Totals of 5 trapped at home between 21st July and 7th August 2019 and 3 between 26th May and 11th August 2020.  Although I've recorded up to 8 in a year here, 2 out of 5 years were blank.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 31st May, one in Hellesdon and a total of 10 on Mull.

Small Phoenix, Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019

Small Phoenix, North Elmham, 7th August 2019

Small Phoenix, North Elmham, 26th May 2020

Small Phoenix, North Elmham, 23rd July 2020

Red-green Carpet Chloroclysta siterata - In the spring flight period one in the garden on 23rd May 2019 and one at the meadows a couple of nights later, then singles at home on 20th and 21st May 2020.  In the autumn singles in the garden on 4th October and 26th November 2019 (my latest ever) and one at the meadows on 4th October, then 3 between 20th September and 20th October 2020 and 2 at the meadows on 8th November.  After 13 here in my first autumn (2014) I thought this species was going to be commoner here but it must have been a good year as I've only had a total of 20 in 6 years since then (with none in 2018).

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd May 2019

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham, 20th May 2020

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

Common Marbled Carpet Dysstroma truncata - In 2019, 9 in the garden between 1st and 15th June and then 5 between 7th and 28th September.  In 2020, 11 between 21st May and 24th June and 11 between 8th August and 30th September.  These were my worst showings so far - I was averaging 65 a year previously.  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows, 2 at Swanton Great Wood, 2 at Whitwell Street, 2 on Mull and 26 in Cornwall.

Common Marbled Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Common Marbled Carpet, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Dark Marbled Carpet Dysstroma citrataa - None.  I have never seen this species, in fact I'm not convinced it exists in Norfolk...


Next page: more Geometridae

A rush of new autumnal moths for the year

A relatively good night on 27th September produced no less than four new macro moths for the year: Feathered Thorn, Black Rustic, Brick and Red-line Quaker.

Feathered Thorn, North Elmham, 27th September

Black Rustic, North Elmham, 27th September

Brick, North Elmham, 27th September

Red-line Quaker, North Elmham, 27th September

Other moths that night were London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 22 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Small Dusty Wave, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Riband Waves, Common Marbled Carpet, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 19 Lunar Underwings, Barred Sallow, Pink-barred Sallow and 2 Snouts.

There was a selection of caddisflies: Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus affinis, 3 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis, 3 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus. There was also the barkfly Ectopsocus petersi and 2 beetles Aphodius rufipes.  On the ground by the trap were another two beetles, Nebria brevicollis, and a Common Frog.

Well that little burst of activity was short-lived and it was back to normal the following night with just 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 12 Lunar Underwings and Sallow - oh, and a Common Earwig.

Just a Shuttle-shaped Dart and 18 Lunar Underwings on 29th.

It was a bit better again on 30th with Pine Carpet being the best moth.  It seems like these are getting commoner, or perhaps I was just a bit unlucky with them when I started mothing?  The other moths were Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Dusty Wave, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Red-line Quaker, 3 Beaded Chestnuts, 23 Lunar Underwings and Sallow.

Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 30th September

There was a noteworthy caddisfly too, my first Limnephilus decipiens of the year.  The only other caddis were 3 Limnephilus lunatus.

Limnephilus decipiens, North Elmham, 30th September

Next day I headed down to Cornwall for a few days - more about that shortly...

Amazing aberrant Small Copper

Sunday 23rd September saw both Pine Carpet and Grey Pine Carpet added to the garden year list.  Pine isn't very common here but I was surrpised when I realised the Grey Pine was my first this year.  Also new for the year was the wonderful Pink-barred Sallow.

Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd September

Grey Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd September

Pink-barred Sallow, North Elmham, 23rd September

Other moths were Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 2 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, 4 Light Emeralds, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 12 Lunar Underwings, 2 Frosted Oranges, Burnished Brass, Straw Dot and 10 Snouts.

Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, North Elmham, 23rd September

Caddisflies consisted of 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus affinis, Limnephilus auricula, 7 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus.  Beetles were represented by Nicrophorus investigator and Aphodius rufipes.

The following night Brown-spot Pinion was new for the year.

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham, 24th September

Other moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Riband Wave, Mallow, 5 Common Marbled Carpets, Willow Beauty, 2 Light Emeralds, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, Centre-barred Sallow, 12 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, 2 Sallows, Frosted Orange, Silver Y and 4 Snouts.

Two other insects were new for the year and also my second ever: the mayfly Small Dark Olive Baetis scambus and the mirid bug Pantilius tunicatus.  The following caddisflies were also recorded: Hydropsyche siltalai, 2 Limnephilus auricula, 7 Limnephilus lunatus, 2 Limnephilus sparsus and Limnephilus affinis.

Small Dark Olive Baetis scambus, North Elmham, 24th September

Pantilius tunicatus, North Elmham, 24th September

Next day I headed up to Burnham Overy where I found this extraordinary Small Copper (flying with an ordinary one).  There are lots of named aberrations of Small Copper but this isn't one of them.  I presume it's a form of leucism with normally dark areas looking pale and whitish.

Small Copper ab. nov., Burnham Overy, 25th September

Also here a very worn Beautiful Groundling Caryocolum marmorea and the caddisfly Limnephilus auricula.  Later on a Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana at Ryburgh.

A good night for moths that night included my second ever Orange Sallow following one in my first autumn here in 2014.

Orange Sallow, North Elmham, 25th September

Also new for the year were 2 Black Rustics.

Black Rustic, North Elmham, 25th September

This Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis was a surprise - as the species is supposed to finish flying in July.  It was reasonably fresh so presumably an unusual second generation.

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 25th September

Other moths were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Small Blood-vein, Garden Carpet, Mallow, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 4 Dusky Thorns, Willow Beauty, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Common Wainscot, Brown-spot Pinion, 10 Lunar Underwings, 2 Sallows, Frosted Orange and 2 Snouts.

There was also a Chrysoperla carnea agg. (green lacewing), the caddisflies Ithytrichia lamellaris, Hydropsyche pellucidula, 2 Limnephilus auricula, 8 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus marmoratus, the leafhopper Empoasca vitis and the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator.

I had taken the aberrant Small Copper home with me just in case it was necessary to properly document the unusual appearance and the specimen would be required - and also to get decent photos as it hadn't played ball in the field.  I was planning to return to Burnham Overy in the morning so if I didn't need to keep the specimen I would return it.  The feedback I received overnight suggested that there was no need to keep it so I duly released it back where I found it.  This time it settled in the marram grass and in the sunshine allowing a more natural photo than I'd managed yesterday.  I didn't find much else of non-avian interest in the dunes this time.

Small Copper ab. nov., Burnham Overy, 26th September

My wife has recently taken on an allotment in the village and I visited it in the afternoon.  I don't intend to get my hands dirty there but I might have a mooch around looking for insects from time to time!  Not much this time - just a Liocoris tripustulatus (bug) on some nettles and a Common Rough Woodlouse in the compost heap.