Review of 2019 - Lyonetiid Leaf-miners (Lyonetiidae), Ash-bud Moths (Praydidae) and Obscures (Autostichidae)

LYONETIA and LEUCOPTERA BENT-WINGS (LYONETIIDAE)


Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella -12 in the garden between 15th June and 16th August 2019 making it my best year to date.  Also my first ever autumn generation example on 24th October, which was also my first of the dark melanic type.  Judging from photos published on the web it seems that dark types are normal for the second generation and rare in the first main generation.  On this one the vertex was white - on some examples even this is brown.  2020 was even better with 18 between 12th June and 16th August.  Also one netted at the meadows in 2020 and quite a few leaf-mines there in both years on Wild Cherry and also some on Blackthorn and possibly also on Hawthorn.

Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham, 15th June 2019

Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham, 24th October 2019

Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

leaf-mine of Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

Striped Bent-wing Lyonetia prunifoliella - I found one on a Blackthorn leaf in a hedgerow at the Cathedral Meadows on 30th August 2019.  This was a new moth for me, and only the second Norfolk record and the first for the vice-county VC28.  This species became extinct in the UK in the 19th century and wasn't recorded for over 100 years, but very recently has re-colonised the south of the country.  It appears to be spreading northwards and mine was the first of 3 records in the county in 2019.  I imagine that within a few years it will be a common moth here, but time will tell.

Striped Bent-wing Lyonetia prunifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th August 2019

Laburnum Leaf-miner Leucoptera laburnella - None.  This is a fairly common species that I saw at Bawdeswell but haven't yet found in North Elmham.


Boom Bent-wing Leucoptera spartifoliella - My first ever adult of this species was swept from Broom at the meadows on 13th July 2019.  A possible mine in the same Broom in 2020 but I wasn't certain about the ID.

female Broom Bent-wing Leucoptera spartifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2019

Pear-leaf Blister Moth Leucoptera malifoliella - Leafmines found at the meadows on 30th August and 11th September 2019 but it wasn't until 2020 that I saw my first ever adult, one netted at the meadows on 26th June.

leaf-mine of Pear-leaf Blister Moth Leucoptera malifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th August 2019

Pear-leaf Blister Moth Leucoptera malifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th June 2020

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ASH-BUD MOTHS (PRAYDIDAE)


Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella - One in the garden trap on 23rd July 2019, my 4th here (all since 2017).  None in 2020.

Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps - One in the garden trap on 26th July 2019 and singles on 5 nights between 16th July and 15th September 2020.  Prior to the 5 in 2020 I'd had 1-2 here in each of the full years I'd lived here.

Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps, North Elmham, 26th July 2019

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BINDWEED BENT-WING (BEDELLIIDAE)


Bindweed Bent-wing Bedellia somnulentella - None.  I've only had one of these here, in 2017.

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HAWTHORN MOTH (SCYTHROPIIDAE)


Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella - None.  I'm yet to record this species locally - I didn't even manage it at Bawdeswell where my house was almost enveloped by an enormous Hawthorn hedge that hadn't been cut for years.  None at the meadows either, where the hedges are full of Hawthorn and Blackthorn.  Presumably this species' requirements involve more than just its foodplants.

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OBSCURES (AUTOSTICHIDAE)


Four-spotted Obsucre Oegoconia quadripuncta - Totals of 12 between 16th July and 6th August 2019 and 20 between 25th June and 11th August 2020.  The 20 in 2020 was my best year so far and they peaked with 6 on 1st August.  Although the breadth of the pale bands is a good indicator, this species and the next are not supposed to be possible to definitively identify without checking their genitalia.  I suspect that in reality it might be possible to reliably assign some individuals to species without dissection but there is certainly overlap and some I've dissected have turned out not to be the species I had suspected.  Out of the 32, 30 were males.  Worth bearing in mind that Oegoconia caradjai may occur in Norfolk although there haven't been any records yet - some individuals could very easily be overlooked among quadripuncta.

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 29th July 2019

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 2nd August 2019

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 29th July 2020

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

Scarce Obsucre Oegoconia deauratella - Single males on 10th and 17th July 2019 plus a probable on 29th July which escaped before I could check it.  This species is annual here, averaging 2-3 per year but 2020 was my best year so far with 6 between 18th June and 30th July.  All were males.

male Scarce Obscure Prays Oegoconia deauratella, North Elmham, 10th July 2019

male Scarce Obscure Prays Oegoconia deauratella, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

male Scarce Obscure Prays Oegoconia deauratella, North Elmham, 18th June 2020

male Scarce Obscure Prays Oegoconia deauratella, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Next page: Oecophoridae plus

Moths at the meadows

On 16th July I trapped again at the meadows, catching 109 species of moth. There was nothing super-remarkable among them, but a few nice things.  Pine Hawk-moth was a surrpise given the absence of pines on site and it was good to see Peach Blossom, Small Phoenix, 2 White Satins and a Miller.

Pine Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Peach Blossom, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

White Satin, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Miller, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

The other macros were  2 Drinkers, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, 3 Buff Arches, Small Blood-vein, Lesser Cream Wave, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, Common Carpet, 2 Sharp-angled Carpets, Small Rivulet, Bordered Pug, V-Pug, Green Pug, Small Yellow Wave, 2 Clouded Borders, 2 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, 2 Scalloped Oaks, Swallow-tailed Moth, 3 Peppered Moths, 4 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Pebble Prominent, 5 Yellow-tails, Black Arches, Round-winged Muslin, 2 Rosy Footmen, 6 Dingy Footmen, 4 Scarce Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, Buff Ermine, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Double Square-spot, Nutmeg, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Lychnis, Antler Moth, Clay, 2 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Poplar Greys, Grey Dagger, Knot Grass, Small Angle Shades, 2 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, 3 Dusky Sallows, Ear Moth, Small Rufous, 3 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock, Plain Golden Y and Spectacle.

V-Pug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Small Yellow Wave, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Peppered Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Black Arches, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Antler Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Grey Dagger (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Small Angle Shades, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Small Rufous, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Plain Golden Y, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Micros consisted of Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, 4 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, probable Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps, Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, up to 8 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella (1 confirmed), 4 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, 12 Knapweed Conches Agapeta zoegana, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, 4 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, 4 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, possible Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana (messed up the gen det so not certain), 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Smoky-barred Marble Lobesia abscisana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 10 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 40 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 6 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, 2 Dotted Oak Knot-horns Phycita roborella,

Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Caddisflies included 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa, Limnephilus flavicornis, Limnephilus rhombicus, Leptocerus tineiformis and Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis.  There was also a Blue-winged Olive (mayfly) Serratella ignita, the leafhopper Iassus lanio, the water beetle Ilybius fuliginosus, an Orange Ladybird and a new beetle for me, Curtonotus aulicus.

Iassus lanio, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Ilybius fuliginosus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

Curtonotus aulicus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July

This spider was marauding around on the sheet by the trap, probably hoping to munch the odd moth when I wasn't looking.  I failed to identify it from photos so asked a friend, who asked a friend and ended up with a reply from a third - great team effort!  Anyway, it was a Labrynth Spider Agelena labrynthica - thanks Keith, Chris and Richard!

Labrynth Spider Agelena labrynthica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July