Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 2: Daggers, Small Yellow Underwing and Sharks

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE)


Reed Dagger Simyra albovenosa - None.  I've not recorded this species locally and I'm well away from the strongholds for this species so haven't really been expecting to.  However there have been a couple of records just down the road at Worthing so maybe there's a chance I will find it round here.


Alder Moth Acronicta alni - None.  I seem to be a bit unlucky with this species as I've only ever seen 2, and they weren't local.  It's common enough and is known to occur locally, so surely I'll find one locally some day.


Dark Dagger Acronicta tridens - None.  I've caught 2 here, in 2016 and 2017, but this seems to be very much scarcer than Grey Dagger.  I've gen detted some reasonable candidates for Dark Dagger that have turned out to be Grey.


Grey Dagger Acronicta psi - Having averaged 7 a year here over the previous 4 years it was a disappointment not to catch any in 2019.  2020 was a bit better with 4 between 1st and 12th August; also one at the meadows on 18th July.

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 8th August 2020

female Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 12th August 2020

Sycamore Acronicta aceris - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and one at the meadows on 7th July.   None at home, and none anywhere in 2020.  I've only ever caught this species at home 3 times, all in 2015.

Sycamore, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Miller Acronicta leporina - None.  I've caught these at home on 3 occasions (2015, 2016 and 2018).


Light Knot Grass Acronicta menyanthidis - One came straight in to the LED lights as soon as I put them on at Allt Mollach on Mull on 13th June 2019.  This was a lifer for me - the species that has an extremely restricted range within Norfolk (but is much commoner in Scotland).  Scottish specimens like this are of a paler subspecies than the ones that occur here in Norfolk.

Light Knot Grass, Allt Molach (Mull), 13th June 2019

Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis - One in the garden trap on 20th July 2019 and 5 here between 21st July and 13th August 2020.  I've recorded this species here each year since moving in but I'd not had more than 4 in a year before.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 22nd August 2019 and 18th July and 7th August 2020. 

Knot Grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Knot Grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2020

Knot Grass, North Elmham, 13th August 2020

Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala - One in the garden trap on 2nd May 2019 was my earliest ever record.  That was the only one I caught at home that year and in 2020 I had 2, on 28th May and 14th June.  I had 16 in 2016 but that was exceptional - I've had 0-2 in every other year.  Elsewhere 4 at the meadows between 17th May and 18th July and one at Bintree Wood.  Although some examples are obvious I don't always find the identification of this species as easy as some recorders seem to - some examples of both Poplar Grey and Sycamore show reasonably prominent pale dorsal spots at the end of the cross-line such that there is overlap with Knot Grass in this character, and other characters seem to be quite variable and/or unclear.  With a few individuals I resort to dissection to satisfy myself the ID is correct, and although they now usually end up being what I thought they were, this wasn't always the case when I started doing this.

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 2nd May 2019

Poplar Grey, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Poplar Grey, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

male Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Coronet Craniophora ligustri - None in 2019 but 4 caught in the garden between 6th and 15th August 2020.  Annual totals vary from 0-5 here.

Coronet, North Elmham, 6th August 2020

Small Yellow Underwing Panemeria tenebrata - A total of 8 at the meadows between 15th and 25th May 2019 (on 4 dates).  This was the second consecutive year they were found here in reasonable numbers (2018 was the first year the site was surveyed) but none were found in 2020.  Most were, as you would expect for a day-flying species, seen during the day but one was found by torchlight roosting on a leaf of the Apple tree.

Small Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2019

Small Yellow Underwings, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019

Shark Cucullia umbratica - None.  I've not yet found this species locally but it has been recorded in my road before so it's surely only a matter of time.


Chamomile Shark Cucullia chamomillae - None.  This must be one of the most common and widespread moths that I've never seen.  Hopefully I'll catch one someday and there's no reason why it shouldn't be local.


Mullein Cucullia verbasci - One caught in the garden on 23rd April 2020, my fifth here (the others all in 2016-17).  Otherwise only larvae seen, but these were easy to find on the Mullein plants along the railway at the meadows - up to 20 between 21st May and 21st June 2019 and up to 18 between 15th May and 26th June 2020 (when there was also 2-3 on a solitary plant at the chapel).  Covid may have helped this species in 2020 as the railway company usually spray the railway every year, completely destroying the Mullein before it flowers and while many of the caterpillars are still feeding.  Presumably the caterpillars are destroyed along with plants.  There was no spraying in 2020 though the company are apparently wanting to spray much earlier in 2021.

Mullein caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2019

Mullein caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019

Mullein caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019

Mullein caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Mullein, North Elmham, 23rd April 2020

Next page: more Noctuidae

A first for Norfolk - nearly!

On Monday 19th June I considered having a wander round Beetley Common, just 5 minutes away and good for insects last time I was there.  But there had been a Lesser Emperor at Selbrigg Pond for a few days and it was reported as still being there, and I've never seen a Lesser Emperor in the UK, so I thought I'd head there instead.  That proved to be a very unfortunate decision!  There were a few dragonflies on view including normal Emperors and Red-eyed Damselflies, but I couldn't find the Lesser Emperor.  A couple sitting by the pond said there had been people there watching it who left just before I arrived, and I someone who must have arrived just after I left tweeted that it was still there shortly afterwards, so it seems that I was very unlucky.  To make matters worse Kevin du Rose visited Beetley Common while I was at Selbrigg and found, guess what - a Lesser Emperor!

The lady sitting by the pond found this caterpillar which she wanted me to identify.  I'm rubbish at caterpillars and couldn't help, but having now looked it up I think it's an Oak Beauty.

Oak Beauty, Selbrigg Pond, 19th June

I made up for the disappointment with Lesser Emperor when it came to checking the moths I caught overnight.  Among them was a smart streaky grey gelechiid which looked interesting.  It looked like an Anarsia species, but not Anarsia spartiella, the one I've seen before - it was too streaky.  It looked more like Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella, a species only recorded in Norfolk once before and usually found among imported peaches.  Well this wasn't among imported peaches and I wasn't convinced it was this species, but on first look I couldn't find any similar species - certainly not on the Norfolk Moths website anyway, nor the UK Moths website.  My next stop was Lepiforum where I discovered a species called Anarsia innoxiella, very similar to Peach Twig Borer.  Helpfully Lepiforum has an image detailing the differences between the two species and sure enough my moth was spot on for Anarsia innoxiella!  I then checked back on Norfolk Moths, UK Moths and some other British moth websites and couldn't find innoxiella mentioned anywhere... surely I hadn't found a first for Britain?  Next stop was Google and that led me to the Gelechiid Recording Scheme and there on its news page was the information that Anarsia innoxiella had been split from Peach Twig Borer only as recently as March 2017.  It stated that, "Initial examination of recently light-trapped British material, which were thought to be A. lineatella, suggest many could well be referable to the new species, Anarsia innoxiella."  Hmm, "could well be"?  Does that mean innoxiella hasn't actually been confirmed yet?  Are they waiting for a specimen?  Could mine be the first confirmed British record?  Well no, for elsewhere on the same website I found a page for the species which clarified that there have indeed been confirmed records and that "Early indications are that it is well established in south-east England but should be considered at best local in its distribution."  So certainly not new to the UK but maybe to Norfolk?  None on the Norfolk Moths website so it was looking hopeful that I might at least have found a first for Norfolk.  Well sadly it turns out that it wasn't even that - not quite - for Andy Wallis had trapped one just three nights earlier.  I'd been pipped to the post - and not for the first time (a very similar thing happened with my first Italian Tubic Metalampra italica).  Still, a very nice find, second for Norfolk, first for VC28 and of course a new moth for me.

Anarsia innoxiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Among the rest of the catch several species were new for the year including two I have rarely seen before (both on just single occasions here before) - Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta and Haworth's Pug.

Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta, North Elmham, 19th June

Others new for the year here were Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Leopard Moth, Peach Blossom, July Highflyer and Poplar Grey.

Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 19th June

Peach Blossom, North Elmham, 19th June

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 19th June

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana was my third record and first outside of January/February.

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Satyr Pug was also my third, and for the third time its identity wasn't realised until after it had died.  Here it is with the Haworth's Pug and a Grey Pug also caught that night - I suppose I shouldn't beat myself up too much for not realising I had all three species straight away...

Satyr Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Haworth's Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Grey Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

The other moths caught were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella, 2 Woundwort Case-bearers Coleophora lineolea, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 3 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 11 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 4 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 13 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 5 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 8 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Buff Arches, 2 Common Emeralds, Dwarf Cream Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 8 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, 6 Barred Straws, 4 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Privet Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 3 Rosy Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, 9 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 2 Short-cloaked Moths, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, Shears, Common Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 6 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 11 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Spectacle, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, 20 Straw Dots, 3 Snouts and 2 Fan-foots.

Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, North Elmham, 19th June

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 19th June

Caddisflies were represented by 2 Ecnomus tenellus, Mystacides longicornis and Oecetis lacustris, and Mayflies by a Green Drake Ephemera danica.  There was another Fly Bug Reduvius personatus in the trap along with two other bugs that were new for the year here: Stenotus binotatus and the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Stenotus binotatus, North Elmham, 19th June

Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 19th June

Boughton Fen

On Saturday 2nd July I went to Titchwell to see, after several unsuccessful attempts, the Great Knot (see my birding diary).  The visit also got me a new hoverfly, Leucozona laternaria.  Other insects included a Painted Lady, Black-tailed Skimmer and a Yellow-tail caterpillar.

Leucozona laternaria, Titchwell, 2nd July

In the evening I joined others at Boughton Fen for another Norfolk Moth Survey event.  Probably the best moth was my first Comfrey Ermel Ethmia quadrillella, though a white Coleophora also proved to be one I'd not seen before: Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella.

Comfrey Ermel Ethmia quadrillella, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella (male, gen det), Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Other moths I don't see very often included 2 Ash Bud Moths Prays fraxinella, Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella, 3 Twin-spot Carpets and Striped Wainscot.

Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Twin-spot Carpet, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Other micros included 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 3 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrices Pandemis cerasana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 20 Flax Tortrices Cnephasia asseclana (not all confirmed but all those dissected were asseclana), Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Black-brindled Bell Epinotia signatana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 6 Wainscot Veneers Chilo phragmitella, 2 Base-lined Greys Scoparia basistrigalis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Black-brindled Bell Epinotia signatana, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis (female, gen det), Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Wainscot Veneer Chilo phragmitella, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

The other macros were Ghost Moth, Buff Arches, Figure of Eighty, Common Emerald, Maiden's Blush, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, Large Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, July Highflyer, Small Rivulet, Mottled Pug, 3 Green Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Peppered Moths, 10 Mottled Beauties, Clouded Silver, Eyed Hawkmoth, Common Footman, 2 Flames, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Poplar Grey, Sycamore, Dark Arches, 3 Tawny Marbled Minors, Burnished Brass, Silver Y, Beautiful Golden Y, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Snouts and Small Fan-foot.

Sycamore (left) and Poplar Grey (right), Boughton Fen, 2nd July

July Highflyer, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

A few other inverts were identified.  Stuart confirmed the Mayfly Procloeon bifidum and a Strawberry Snail.  I can't work out what this slug is though, possibly a juvenile Black Slug agg.?

Slug sp., possibly juvnenile Black Slug agg.?, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Another one I can't ID for sure is this nymph, but I think I'm in the right ballpark with Muellerianella fairmairei.

possible Muellerianella fairmairei, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Caddisflies included Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus marmoratus plus this one that I've rarely seen: Trichostegia minor.

Trichostegia minor, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

Last but not least, and another one where I can't take any credit for the ID, was this male Glow-worm (it's only the females that glow).

Glow-worm, Boughton Fen, 2nd July

At home that night Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana was the only new one for the year.  The rest were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Buff Arches, Small Emerald, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, Garden Carpet, Peppered Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Light Emerald, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, 2 Flames, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, Rufous Minor, 6 Uncertains, 3 Mottled Rustics and Fan-foot.