Some good mothing at the meadows

A return to poor form on 14th June with just 28 species of moth, though these included a lovely Beautiful Golden Y, new for the year.  The others were Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Treble Brown Spot, Silver-ground Carpet, Scorched Wing, 2 Brimstone Moths, Privet Hawk-moth, 3 White Ermines, 17 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, 3 Heart and Darts, Flame, 2 Flame Shoulders, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Common Wainscots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 5 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, 3 Treble Lines and 5 Straw Dots.

Beautiful Golden Y, North Elmham, 14th June

With such a small haul of moths in the trap it was barely light by the time I'd finished going through it, so I took the opportunity to get up to the meadows early.  I netted two Treble-spot Flat-bodies Telechrysis tripuncta as I wandered down the trap, a species that is only recorded in Norfolk about twice a year on average.  I'd only ever seen them twice before.

Treble-spot Flat-body Telechrysis tripuncta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

These were followed by a Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea, along with Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, 2 Timothy Tortrixes Aphelia paleana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella and Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus.

 Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

view across the River Wensum from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Other wildlife recorded that morning included Green Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus, the hoverfly Melanostoma scalare and a number of Kentish Snails and White-lipped Snails.

I returned to the meadows in the evening for some moth trapping.  It was one of the better night's trapping I've done here (maybe the best?) with 82 species including some nice ones, if nothing enormously unusual: Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, 4 Hedge Case-bearers Coleophora striatipennella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Black-headed Dwarfs Elachista atricomella, Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 6 Light Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia incertana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 35 Green Oak Tortrixes Tortrix viridana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 6 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, 3 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 5 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Red Piercers Lathronympha strigana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Lesser Pearls Sitochroa verticalis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 2 Fenland Pearls Anania perlucidalis, 2 Ghost Moths, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Green Carpet, 2 Sharp-angled Carpets, Lime-speck Pug, 4 Clouded Borders, 4 Scorched Wings, Mottled Beauty, Pale Oak Beauty, Common White Wave, Common Wave, Light Emerald, Eyed Hawk-moth, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, 5 Elephant Hawk-moths, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Marbled Browns, Lobster Moth, Four-dotted Footman, Common Footman, 4 White Ermines, 4 Buff Ermines, 10 Cinnabars, 5 Heart and Darts, 5 Flames, 4 Flame Shoulders, 4 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, 10 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Clay, Smoky Wainscot, 7 Common Wainscots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Poplar Grey, Grey Dagger, 6 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, Small Clouded Brindle, Large Nutmeg, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 3 Marbled Minors, 10 Middle-barred Minors, 5 Treble Lines, 3 Uncertains, Vine's Rustic, 2 Mottled Rustics, Green Silver-lines, 2 Burnished Brasses, 8 Straw Dots and 2 Snouts.

Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Small Magpie Anania hortulata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Ghost Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Poplar Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Swallow Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Pale Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Lobster Moth (with Green Oak Tortrix), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Four-dotted Footman, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Cinnabar (with Green Oak Tortrix), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Small Square-spot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Clay, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Grey Dagger (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Small Angle Shades, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Small Clouded Brindle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Large Nutmeg, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Green Silver-lines, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Snout, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Other inverts recorded included Common Toad, 4 mayflies that I think were probably Caenis horaria, the caddisflies Phryganea grandis, 2 Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus flavicornis, the mirid bugs Phylus palliceps and Stenodema laevigata, a Great Blackclock beetle Pterostichus niger, a luminescing Glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca, the sawfly Tenthredo livida and the spider Nuctenea umbratica.

Common Toad, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Phylus palliceps, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Great Blackclock Pterostichus niger, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

luminescences from a Glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Tenthredo livida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Abnormal Antler Moth and Barred Rivulet

This Antler Moth was new for the year on Friday 4th August.  There can be a bit of variation in the pattern of Antler Moths but I don't think I've ever seen one before that completely lacked the oval mark.  It was a bit worn but I don't think that can explain it - there are dark scales present in the place where you would normally expect to see a pale oval (just above the pale kidney mark that is present as normal).

Antler Moth, North Elmham, 4th August

Other moths trapped that night were House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 26 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 6 Riband Waves, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Phoenix, Currant Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, Scorched Carpet, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Willow Beauty, Common Wave, 3 Dingy Footmen, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, White-point, Common Rustic, Lesser Common Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Silver Y, 2 Spectacles and 12 Straw Dots.

Scorched Carpet, North Elmham, 4th August

Silver Y, North Elmham, 4th August

Another Licoris tripustulatus (mirid bug) was the most interesting other insect; a sub-imago Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum (mayfly) being the only other thing I recorded.

The following night was very poor - just 25 moths: Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 5 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Riband Waves, Willow Beauty, Pale Prominent, Dingy Footman, Buff Ermine, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spotted Clay, Common Rustic, Spectacle and 3 Straw Dots.

The best moth on 6th August was a Barred Rivulet, a species I saw here shortly after moving in in 2014 but hadn't seen anywhere since then.

Barred Rivulet, North Elmham, 6th August

Other moths were Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 2 House Groundlings Bryotropha domestica, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 10 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Double-striped Pug, Coxcomb Prominent, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, White-point, Lesser Common Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Silver Y and 7 Straw Dots.

Among the caddisflies Ylodes conspersus was a new species for me and Lype phaeopa was new for the year.  There was also a Hydropsyche pellucidula along with Forest Bug and the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator.

Ylodes conspersus (female), North Elmham, 6th August

Lype phaeopa, North Elmham, 6th August

The following evening a wander round the local gravel pits looking for birds produced insects instead, some of which didn't bite me (although most did, it seemed).  Not many moths but among 3 Straw Dots was a tortrix which at first I took to be a Dichrorampha sp.  It was only when I went to dissect it a few weeks later and reviewed my photos that I realised it was something more interesting, and sure enough the dissection went on to confirm it - my first Pea Moth Cydia nigricana.

Pea Moth Cydia nigricana (male, gen det), Bittering, 7th August

This bug also proved to be a lifer - Plagiognathus chrysanthemi.

Plagiognathus chrysanthemi, Bittering, 7th August

A few interesting moths at home that night included a nice Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana and a Webb's Wainscot.

Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana, North Elmham, 7th August

Webb's Wainscot, North Elmham, 7th August

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea was also new for the year and 3 Pale-streak Grass-veneers Agriphila selasela were notable.

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, North Elmham, 7th August

Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, North Elmham, 7th August

Other moths were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella, Bulrush Cosmet Limnaecia phragmitella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 14 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 20 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, 4 Single-dotted Waves, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Currant Pug, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Oak, Pale Prominent, 2 Dingy Footmen, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Rustic, Burnished Brass and 7 Straw Dots.

Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, North Elmham, 7th August

Beetles consisted of Bradycellus verbasci and my first identified Pterostichus niger.  3 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum represented the mayflies while caddisflies included Ithytrichia lamellaris and Hydropsyche siltalai.

Pterostichus niger, North Elmham, 7th August