Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Many-plumed Moth (Alucitidae) and Plumes (Pterophoridae) (part 1)

MANY-PLUME MOTHS (ALUCITIDAE)


Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla - 7 at home between 21st March and 29th May and then 6 between 30th June and 23rd July 2019 - an average year here.  In 2020 one on 11th April and 10 between 1st July and 17th August.  Also one at the meadows on 26th July 2019.  Although this is the only British member of its family there are some similar species on the Continent that could conceivably turn up here.

Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, North Elmham, 21st March 2019

-----------------------------------

PLUME MOTHS (PTEROPHORIDAE)


Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii - None.  This species is prone to occasional influxes to inland locations and 2018 was a good year for such - I had 2 inland records including my first in the garden in 2018.  There were some inland records in 2020 but none here.


Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla - One in the garden moth trap on 28th August 2020.  This was my second here following one in 2017.

Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla, North Elmham, 28th August 2020

Yarrow Plume Gillmeria pallidactyla - None.  Although I caught this species 3 times in Bawdeswell I've only ever had one here, in 2018.


Tansy Plume Gillmeria ochrodactyla - None.  I've only recorded this species once, at home in 2018 when (surprisingly in view of the number and spread of records in VC27) it was a new moth for the vice county.


Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla - Totals of 12 trapped in the garden between 21st March and 2nd September 2019 and 19 between 19th June and 9th November 2020.  In both years, two thirds of them were in August.  The 2019 showing was a little above average for me and 2020 was a record high.

Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 21st March 2019

Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Brown Plume Stenoptylia pterodactyla - One caught at home on 26th July 2019 and 4 between 13th and 26th July 2020.  I have recorded this species here every year since moving in but numbers vary from 1-6.  Elsewhere, recorded at the meadows on 4 dates (including earlier/later than above on 4th August 2019 and 23rd June 2020) and at Bintree Wood.

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2020

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham, 13th July 2020

Twin-spot Plume Stenoptylia bipunctidactyla - None.  With widespread records around the county this and Crescent Plume are perhaps the most glaring omissions from my list of Plumes.


Dowdy Plume Stenoptylia zophodactylus - None.  I've only ever seen this species at the coast where it does seem to be less unusual, but there are inland records so there's a chance of it cropping up round here.


Crescent Plume Marasmarcha lunaedactyla - None.  The majority of records of this species are relatively recent so perhaps this one is increasingly likely to turn up here.  2021 will do fine please...


Breckland Plume Oxyptilus distans - One at the meadows on 13th June 2020 was the first record for this 10km square.  The species has been increasingly recorded away from its Breckland and NW coast strongholds in recent years, so a record local to here was welcome but not entirely unexpected.

Breckland Plume Oxyptilus distans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th June 2020

Wood-sage Plume Capperia britanniodactylus - None.  This widespread but uncommon species hasn't yet turned up in my moth trap; the only one I've seen was at my previous house in Bawdeswell in 2013.


White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla - 18 in my garden between 23rd June and 25th July, which is farily average, and 15 between 12th June and 17th August 2020.  I find this species often doesn't go right in the trap, found in vegetation around the trap or flying around it when I go out to check it just before dawn.  Also 7 at the meadows (including 2 on the earlier date of 25th May 2020) and one at Weybourne.

White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Thyme Plume Merrifieldia leucodactyla - None.  I've recorded this lovely and scarce species here in North Elmham on one occasion, in 2016.


Dusky Plume Oidaematophorus lithodactyla - One at Whitwell Street on 12th August 2020.  I am yet to record this species here in North Elmham but have previously seen in at my last house in Bawdeswell and at Whitwell Common.

Dusky Plume Oidaematophorus lithodactyla, Whitwell Street, 12th August 2020

Next page: more Pterophoridae plus

Two garden firsts

Moths at Ryburgh on Tuesday 30th May included 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and 4 Silver-ground Carpets.  A Broad-bodied Chaser was better and a Garden Bumblebee.

There were two new moths for the garden that night - Brindled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana and Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla.

Brindled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana, North Elmham, 30th May

Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla, North Elmham, 30th May

Some more were new for the year here: Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana and Marbled Brown.  A Small Clouded Brindle wasn't new for the year after one 5 days earlier but it was only my second here since moving in.

Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, North Elmham, 30th May

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham, 30th May

Barred Marble Celypha striana, North Elmham, 30th May

Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 30th May

Other moths were Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 4 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Common Swift, 2 Blood-veins, Flame Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Mottled Pug, 2 Currant Pugs, 12 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, White-pinion Spotted, 3 Light Emeralds, 2 Coxcomb Prominents, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, White Ermine, 4 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Marbled Minor, 11 Treble Lines, Vine's Rustic, 2 Spectacles and 8 Straw Dots.


The soldier beetle Cantharis decipiens was new for the house.  The caddisfly Limnephilus flavicornis was new for the year.  Another caddis was Hydropsyche pellucidula and there were two mayflies, both Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum.

Cantharis decipiens, North Elmham, 30th May

Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 30th May

Another visit to Burnham Overy on 31st May produced a few moths: 4 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Yellow Belle and 12 Cinnabars.  Butterflies included 2 Small Coppers, 5 Brown Arguses, 5 Common Blues and Painted Lady.  There were 3 Four-spotted Chasers and a Broad-bodied Chaser, while beetles included 2 Garden Chafers and a 7-spot Ladybird.

Broad-bodied Chaser, Burnham Overy, 31st May

On the way home I stopped at Ryburgh where a good selection of moths included Plain Gold Micropterix calthella, 6 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 4 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Square-spot Drills Dichrorampha sequana, 2 Lead-coloured Drills Dichrorampha plumbana, Silver-ground Carpet and Grass Rivulet.

Lead-coloured Drills Dichrorampha plumbana (males, gen det), Ryburgh, 31st May

Also 3 Common Blue Damselflies here and a bug nymph which I think is probably Leptopterna dolabrata - please let me know if you can confirm or otherwise.

probable Leptopterna dolabrata, Ryburgh, 31st May

Slightly fewer moths at home that night but still three new for the year: Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, Mottled Rustic and Gold Spot. The latter is normally a magnificent creature but this one was rather worse for wear.

Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoesoma sinuella, North Elmham, 31st May

Mottled Rustic, North Elmham, 31st May

Gold Spot, North Elmham, 31st May

Other insects included the caddis Limnephilus lunatus and a Black Sexton Beetle.