Review of 2019 and 2020 - Butterflies: Admirals, Fritillaries and allies

ADMIRALS, FRITILLARIES and allies (NYMPHALIDAE)


White Admiral Limenitis camilla - Seen at Foxley Wood on 10th and 11th July 2020.

White Admiral, Foxley Wood, 10th July 2020

White Admiral, Foxley Wood, 11th July 2020

Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia - An extremely worn individual at Swanton Novers on 15th August 2019, apparently f. valezina, and then at least 15 at Foxley Wood on 17th August, the majority pretty well worn too (and including sevearl apparent valezina).  Some much nicer specimens at Foxley Wood earlier in the season in 2020, on 10th-11th July, and one at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.

Silver-washed Fritillary, Swanton Novers, 15th August 2019

Silver-washed Fritillaries, Foxley Wood, 17th August 2019

Silver-washed Fritillaries, Foxley Wood, 10th July 2020

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Clossiana selene - A total of 10 seen over 3 sites on Mull on 10th and 12th June 2019.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, between Carsaig and Rubha Dubh, 10th June 2019

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, west of Tiroran, 10th June 2019

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, Glengorm, 12th June 2019

Purple Emperor Apatura iris - With several recorded locally I made a couple of attempts to see one in 2019 but neither were successful.  It took me a couple of attempts in 2020 but in the end I got good views of at least 2 individuals, 30 years to the day from when I last (and first) saw this species, at Botany Bay in Surrey.  Hopefully they will be one on my garden buddleia this year...

Purple Emperors, Foxley Wood, 11th July 2020 (the first 4 photos show one individual, the last photo a second individual that was on view at the same time as the first)

Peacock Inachis io - 2019 was a poor year with only two recorded in my garden (29th March and 7th August).  A few more at the meadows between those dates and at Foxley Wood.  2020 was better - recorded here and at the meadows on far more occasions between 23rd March and 16th August including about 60 caterpillars on nettles at the meadows on 13th June.  Also at Foxley Wood again.

Peacock, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th July 2019

Peacock, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

Peacock caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th June 2020

Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae - My first of 2019 was at Fustyweed on 17th February, followed by one at the allotments on 24th February.  My only other spring record was at the meadows on 8th April.  Also recorded there in July, August and September, in my garden between 17th August and 13th September and at Foxley Wood.  Only seen here and at the meadows in 2020 when more in spring (between 23rd March and 24th April plus one on 27th May) but far fewer in summer (between 20th and 26th July).

Small Tortoiseshell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July 2019

Small Tortoiseshell, Foxley Wood, 17th August 2019

Small Tortoiseshell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

Red Admiral Vanessa atlanta - My first of 2019 was at Titchwell on 1st June, then recorded locally from 15th June with reasonable numbers at the meadows, in my garden and at a couple of other sites up until 22nd October.  A caterpillar on nettles at the meadows on 29th July.  I often don't see this species before June but in 2020 recorded from 8th May (here and at the meadows in June).  Surprisingly I didn't see any at the meadows after 20th July (they're usually commoner in the late summer/autumn) but continued to record them here in the garden until 28th October.  Also at Foxley Wood, Thompson Common and in Cornwall.

Red Admiral, North Elmham, 17th August 2019

Red Admiral caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th July 2019

Red Admiral, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui - 2019 was a good year for this migrant species.  I think I may have forgotten to record one or two previous ones but judging from my records at least, one in my garden on 16th June was a new butterfly for the garden.  I ended up recording a total of 25 by the end of August including one that went into my moth trap overnight on 19th August.  At the meadows (where I only recorded one in 2018) I found a total of 31.  Also good numbers (at least 25) at Foxley Wood on 17th August.  In stark contrast, none seen at all in 2020, anywhere.

Painted Lady, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th August 2019

Painted Lady, North Elmham, 17th August 2019

Painted Lady in the moth trap, North Elmham, 19th August 2019

Comma Polygonia c-album - Recorded between 29th March and 30th September 2019, mostly at the meadows (max 3) but a few in my garden and a couple elsewhere locally.  In 2020 not recorded until one at Foxley Wood on 10th July but then recorded at home up until 19th September (with just a single record of 2 from the meadows).

Comma, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th March 2019

Comma, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th September 2020

Marsh Fritillary Eurodryas aurinia - 3 seen on Mull on 10th June 2019, 2 just west of where we were staying at Carsaig and one at Glenmore.  A completely new butterfly for me.

Marsh Fritillaries, near Carsaig, 10th June 2019

Next page: Browns and Skippers

Dark Spinach and Oak Nycteoline

With 442 moths of 92 species, 21st July wasn't exactly a bad night but compared to the previous night it felt a lot quieter.  Indeed there was only one new moth for the year, a Straw Underwing, and nearly half of the moths were the same species: 219 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella.

Straw Underwing, North Elmham, 21st July

The other moths were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, 7 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 3 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, House Neb Bryotropha domestica, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Red-barred Tortrixes Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Nut-bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 5 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Ghost Moth, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, 11 Single-dotted Waves, 7 Riband Waves, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, Small Rivulet, Sandy Carpet, Bordered Pug, V-Pug, Double-striped Pug, 5 Clouded Borders, Early Thorn, 3 Scalloped Oaks, 3 Willow Beauties, Pale Prominent, 3 Yellow-tails, Round-winged Muslin, 7 Rosy Footmen, 14 Dingy Footmen, 4 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 12 Common Footmen, Ruby Tiger, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, Brown-line Bright Eye, 2 Clays, 6 Smoky Wainscots, Dun-bar, 3 Dark Arches, Light Arches, Cloaked Minor, 3 Common Rustics, Dusky Sallow, 2 Fen Wainscots, 11 Uncertains, Rustic, Mottled Rustic, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot and 2 Fan-foots.

4 speices of mayfly was good: there was Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, 2 Green Drakes Ephemera danica and 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. Caddisflies were 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa and Athripsodes aterrimus.  Beetles consisted of another Amara apricaria, Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes and Hydrobius fuscipes.

The following night there were slightly fewer moths and slightly less variety (425 moths of 88 species) but there was some good quality among them including 4 new macros for the year: Dark Spinach, Lime-speck Pug, Coronet and Oak Nycteoline.  The Dark Spinach and Oak Nycteoline were both only my second records here.

Dark Spinach, North Elmham, 22nd July

Coronet, North Elmham, 22nd July

Oak Nycteoline, North Elmham, 22nd July

The other moths were Barred White Clothes Moth Nemapogon clematella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, 8 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Grey Ermine Yponomeuta sedella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, 2 Four-spotted Obscures Oegoconia quadripuncta, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 4 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 5 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 204 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 5 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 22 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Ghost Moth, Buff Arches, Small Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 6 Small Fan-footed Waves, 13 Single-dotted Waves, 7 Riband Waves, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Currant Pug, Double-striped Pug, 4 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 3 Early Thorns, 4 Scalloped Oaks, 4 Willow Beauties, Engrailed, Common Wave, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pale Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 2 Rosy Footmen, 14 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, Buff Footman, 11 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Turnip Moth, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, 2 Clays, 3 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, Common Rustic, 9 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Spectacle, Herald, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips, Snout and 2 Fan-foots.

Another Conwentzia psociformis was good value, only my second example of this waxfly here following my first earlier this year.  There was also the brown lacewing Micromus variegatus.

Conwentzia psociformis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd July

There was some good quality among the other insects too including a new caddisfly for me, Tinodes unicolor.  A shame it didn't survive long enough for me to photograph it alive... Other caddis were Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus, Molanna angustata, Athripsodes aterrimus and Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis.

Tinodes unicolor, North Elmham, 22nd July

There was a new beetle for me too: Ophonus puncticeps.  Other beetles were Nicrophorus investigator, Orange Ladybird and Lagria hirta. There was also the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Ophonus puncticeps, North Elmham, 22nd July

Chris Mills invited me over to go through his moth trap at Themelthorpe, so I rocked up at his on the morning of 23rd to go through what he had caught the previous night.  Two of the highlights were Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella and Eyelet Sober Thiotricha subocellea, both species I haven't yet recorded here in North Elmham.

Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella (female, gen det), Themelthorpe, 22nd July

Other things I noted down (and the counts are conservative guesses in many cases) were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Small Red Slender Caloptilia rufipennella, White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 5 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 4 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Lesser Tawny Tubics Batia lunaris, 3 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, probable Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Cnephasia sp., Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Diamond-back Marble Eudemis profundana, 8 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 30 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, probable Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Oak Eggar, Oak Hook-tip, 2 Chinese Characters, 3 Buff Arches, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Small Phoenix, 5 July Highflyers, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, 2 Early Thorns, 7 Willow Beauties, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pebble Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 2 Black Arches, 4 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 6 Common Footmen, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Heart and Darts, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Flame Shoulder, 8 Double Square-spots, 4 Clays, 7 Smoky Wainscots, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Small Clouded Brindle, 3 Common Rustic aggs., Beautiful Hook-tip and 2 Straw Dots.

Later that day I had a wander round the Cathedral Meadows where butterflies included 6+ Purple Hairstreaks and 2 Holly Blues.  There were a few moths too: Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis and Blood-vein.

Red Admiral, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Bugs included a mating pair of Forest Bugs, 2 Hairy Shieldbugs and a new species for me swept off Mugwort, Apolygus lucorum.

Forest Bugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Apolygus lucorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Other bits and pieces included Field Grasshoppers, the scorpion fly Panorpa communis and this larva I found on some Male Fern.  I think it may be one of the brown lacewings but have no idea how to tell which one, if indeed I am right.

unidentified larva, possibly of a brown lacewing sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Flies included the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade Fly), a couple of Noon Flies Mesembrina meridiana which I don't have any record of having identified before and a dance fly which I think is probably Tachydromia umbrarum.  I found a key for these but struggled to use it as it contained so many terms I wasn't familiar with (mostly unhelpfully abbreviated).  There are a lot of similar species in the genus but this seems to be one of the commoner species and there weren't any couplets in the key leading to this species that I thought went the other way (but there were plenty for which I wasn't sure either way).

Marmalade Fly Episyrphus balteatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Noon Flies Mesembrina meridiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

probable Tacydromia umbrarum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Other things noted were the barkfly Graphopsocus cruciatus, a Negro Ant Formica fusca and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Negro Ant Formica fusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July