Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Geometers (Geometridae) - part 10: Thorns and March Moth (Apeira to Alosphila)

GEOMETERS (GEOMETRIDAE) (continued)


Lilac Beauty Apeira syringaria - 4 caught here between 23rd June and 10th July 2019.  I've had between 4 and 7 each year I've lived here until 2020 when I didn't catch any here.  Of the 37 Lilac Beauties I've ever seen only 2 have been away from one or other of my homes and one of those was my only Lilac Beauty in 2020, at Bintree Wood on 26th June.


Large Thorn Ennomos autumnaria - None.  This species (which I've never seen) appears to be reasonably common in some parts of the far west of the county but pretty scarce elsewhere.  There are a few records in mid Norfolk though, so I'd like to think I might catch one locally some day.


August Thorn Ennomos quercinaria - None.  This must be one of the commonest moths that I've not seen yet and although they're not as common round here as they are in parts of Norwich there are quite a few records from nearby - including one in my neighbouring tetrad in 2019 (this side of Brisley I think).


Canary-shouldered Thorn Ennomos alniaria - Totals of 8 here between 9th August and 9th September 2019 and 17 between 19th July and 13th September 2020.  2019 was my worst year so far but 2020 was pretty average.  Elsewhere just one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019.

Canary-shouldered Thorn, North Elmham, 26th July 2020

Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria - Totals of 23 here between 28th July and 22nd September 2019 and 55 between 23rd July and 18th September 2020.  Average here is about 41 a year.  Elsewhere 3 next door, 8 at the meadows and 5 at Whitwell Street.

Dusky Thorn, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th September 2019

September Thorn Ennomos erosaria - None. I've never seen this species but there are a few records in mid Norfolk so it may turn up here sometime.  Much less chance of this than August Thorn though, and I can't even manage to catch one of them.


Early Thorn Selenia dentaria - In the spring generation totals of 8 between 21st March and 23rd April 2019 and 13 between 14th March and 18th April 2020. In summer at least 58 (but not counted on 3 dates) between 5th July and 1st August 2019 and 20 between 25th June and 30th July 2020.  2020's total of 33 was my lowest in 6 years and around half the average.  Elsewhere just one at the meadows on 18th March 2019 and on in Hellesdon.

Early Thorn, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th March 2019

Purple Thorn Selenia tetralunaria - Only 2 at home in 2019, on 24th and 26th July, fewer than I've caught in the past (3 for the last couple of years, 8 in each of the previous 2 years).  A more typical 5 here between 5th and 27th July 2020.  Elsewhere spring generation singles at the meadows and Sculthorpe Moor on 22nd and 26th April 2019.

Purple Thorn, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Purple Thorn, North Elmham, 10th July 2020

Purple Thorn, North Elmham, 27th July 2020

Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata - Totals of 9 caught here between 17th and 30th May 2019 and 5 betweeen 3rd and 26th May 2020.  These were my joint highest and my lowest annual totals in the 6 years I've been here.  Elsewhere one at the meadows and one at Hills and Holes and then caterpillars in October 2020 which I believe to be this species - one at Penberth in Cornwall on 7th and one at the meadows on 30th, both on Ivy.

Scalloped Hazel, North Elmham, 17th May 2019

Scalloped Hazel, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Scalloped Hazel, North Elmham, 26th May 2020

Scalloped Hazel caterpillar, Penberth, 7th October 2020

Scalloped Hazel caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th October 2020

Scalloped Oak Crocallis elinguaria - At least 35 trapped in the garden between 7th July and 11th August 2019; even allowing for a couple of nights when they weren't counted this was probably my worst total here and certainly below the average of 47 a year.  2020 made up for it with 65 between 30th June and 5th August.  Elsewehere one at the meadows and 6 at Brancaster.

Scalloped Oak, North Elmham, 30th June 2020

Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria - Singles caught at home on 7 dates between 24th June and 17th July 2019, making it my worst year here so far (I average 19 a year), and 10 between 13th June and 5th July 2020 plus a late second generation individual on 20th October (my second October record following one in 2014).  A few elsewhere: 2 at the meadows, 2 at Hellesdon and one at Weybourne.

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 13th June 2020

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 20th October 2020

Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria - 30 in my garden between 19th October and 24th November 2019 and 35 between 10th October and 13th November 2020.  These weren't quite my worst annual totals but were well below the average of 45.  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows.

Feathered Thorn, North Elmham, 21st October 2019

Feathered Thorn, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

Feathered Thorn, North Elmham, 9th November 2020

March Moth Alsophila aescularia - 17 between 7th February and 1st April 2019 and 12 between 14th February and 25th March 2020.  These were my worst 2 years in 6 but so far 2021 has been one of my best.  Elsewhere 4 at the meadows on 20th March 2019, another in 2020 and one at Lynford.

March Moth, North Elmham, 7th February 2019

March Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th March 2019

Next page: more Geometridae

Semioscopis steinkellneriana new for the garden

There were relatively few moths on the night of 20th April, though Purple Thorn was new for the year.  I also trapped Frosted Green, 2 Streamers, 5 Early Thorns, Brindled Beauty, Common Quaker, 2 Clouded Drabs, 4 Hebrew Characters and a Black Sexton Beetle.

Purple Thorn, North Elmham, 20th April

The following night was much better with 6 new moths for the year.  Among them were 2 Dawn Flat-bodies Semioscopis steinkellneriana, a new species for the garden, bringing my garden list up to 790.  With four additions this week, hitting 800 must be on the cards for this year.

Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana, North Elmham, 21st April

The others new for the year were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella and Great Prominent. The last was only my third here - I didn't get one last year.

 Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st April

Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, North Elmham, 21st April

Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, North Elmham, 21st April

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, North Elmham, 21st April

Great Prominent, North Elmham, 21st April

Other moths that night were March Tubic Diurnea fagella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, Frosted Green, Streamer, 5 Brindled Pugs, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 4 Early Thorns, 5 Brindled Beauties, Common Quaker, 2 Clouded Drabs, 7 Hebrew Characters and Nut-tree Tussock.

Other insects included Chrysoperla carnea, Black Sexton Beetle and a new hoverfly for the year, Platycheirus albimanus.  The beetle seemed to be eating a dead Brindled Beauty on the ground next to the trap.

Platycheirus albimanus, North Elmham, 21st April

Next day I found a Sandpit Mining Bee Andrena barbilabris trying to get out of my dining room - a species I'd not identified previously.

Sandpit Mining Bee Andrena barbilabris, North Elmham, 22nd April

The Large Red-belted and Red-belted Clearwing lures failed to attract any clearwings (it is a bit early and neither are known to occur anywhere near here, so not very surprising really).  But the Red-belted did attract an as-yet unidentified beetle and a Stenodema laevigata, a new bug for the garden.

Stenodema laevigata, North Elmham, 22nd April

An evening visit to the Cathedral Meadows produced this Common Frog.

 Common Frog, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April

This snail keyed out as Hairy Snail Trochulus hispidus despite having virtually no trace of any hairs, and I initially had it down as such.  After looking at some more snails I think this was erroneous and it was in fact a (small) Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus.

Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April

That night 2 Waved Umbers and a Muslin Moth (and a Common Earwig) were new for the year.  Other moths were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 3 Water Carpets, Early Thorn, 3 Brindled Beauties, Common Quaker, Clouded Drab, 6 Hebrew Characters, Early Grey and 2 Nut-tree Tussocks. The record of 3 Water Carpets is remarkable here - although common elsewhere I only had one here in 2015, none in 2016 and two in 2017 - I've now had 5 here this year.

Waved Umber, North Elmham, 22nd April

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 22nd April

Common Earwig, North Elmham, 22nd April

On the ground by the trap was my first Black Clock Beetle Pterostichus madidus for the year.

Black Clock Beetle Pterostichus madidus, North Elmham, 22nd April

And then it all happened...

Mothing at home this year has been fairly uneventful with no new moths for the house until Thursday night.  Recently numbers have picked up but variety has remained low - even new moths for the year have been hard to come by.  Then Thursday night happened.

The clear highlight was a Grey Pine Ermel Ocnerostoma friesei - a tiny grey moth that isn't much to look at but is a great record, and my first.  There are just five previous Norfolk records, all from 2011 and 2014 and all from one observer and one location (Dersingham).

Grey Pine Ermel Ocnerostoma friesei (male, gen det), North Elmham, 30th March

Another good moth was Scarce Alder Slender Caloptilia falconipennella - my second ever (excluding the one I mentioned in my last blog post - I don't count moths if they're brought to me) and first for my garden.

Scarce Alder Slender Caloptilia falconipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 30th March

In the same genus and also new for the year and one I've not seen many times before was White-triangle Slender Caloptilia stigmatella.

White-triangle Slender Caloptilia stigmatella, North Elmham, 30th March

Another one I've not often seen and hadn't caught here since 2015 was Pale Pinion.

Pale Pinion, North Elmham, 30th March

I also missed Water Carpet at home last year, although I see plenty of them elsewhere.  Good to get it on the garden year list.

Water Carpet, North Elmham, 30th March

I always enjoy my first Purple Thorn of the year.  The photos taken using flash (first two) showed the warmth of the colours well but I noticed they didn't show the white lunar marks as clearly as they looked in life (especially on the upper hindwing), so I took a couple of photos without using flash too (bottom two).

Purple Thorn, North Elmham, 30th March

Everyone loves a Streamer - another new species for the year.

Streamer, North Elmham, 30th March

More routine new species for the year were Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla and Double-striped Pug.

Many-plumed Moth Alcuita hexadactyla, North Elmham, 30th March

Double-striped Pug, North Elmham, 30th March

Other moths in the trap were 2 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Brindled Pug, 3 Early Thorns, 4 Small Quakers, 5 Common Quakers, 9 Clouded Drabs, 9 Hebrew Characters and 4 Early Greys.  Also 3 Black Sexton Beetles, what looked like another Ophion scutellaris (Ichneumon) and 3 Green Lacewings (my first here this year) at least one and probably all 3 of which were Chrysoperla carnea.

Friday night was back to more or less normal with a few moths of mainly the same species as normal, although Brindled Beauty was a nice addition to the garden year list.

Brindled Beauty, North Elmham, 31st March

The others were Water Carpet, 2 Early Thorns, Small Quaker, 3 Clouded Drabs, 9 Hebrew Characters and 2 Early Greys. Also a couple of Black Sexton Beetles.