Thompson Water moths & inverts

On Saturday night the forecast looked interesting for moths - mild and cloudy but with the likelihood of a little light rain later on.  Dave and I headed down to Thompson Water, thinking that if the rain came to pass we would just use our headtorches, but if it remained dry the traps were in the car.  As it turned out the rain started before we'd left home, much more than the forecast had suggested, and it didn't let up when we arrived.  We decided to press on anyway, with headtorches of course, and quickly found a couple of Water Carpets, followed by 2 Hebrew Characters.  A wander through the woodland towards Thompson Common produced no less than 34 March Tubics Diurnea fagella and we eventually added 3 Engrailed and best of all, a Mottled Grey.  There were lots of Common Toads enjoying the puddles - I counted 33 but I'm sure I wouldn't have had to try very hard to reach a much higher number.

Mottled Grey, Thompson Water, 18th March

At home Early Thorn and, at long last, Common Quaker were added to the garden year list.

Early Thorn, North Elmham, 18th March

Common Quaker, North Elmham, 18th March

Other moths at home were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Shoulder Stripe, Oak Beauty, 2 Dotted Borders, 3 Small Quakers, 3 Clouded Drabs and 4 Hebrew Characters.

On Sunday night the forecast was similar - mild and cloudy - except this time no rain was forecast.  We decided to try Thompson Water again, this time hopefully being able to put the traps out.  Ominously, and contrary to the forecast, it was raining as we headed there again and still raining when we arrived, albeit much lighter than yesterday - just a light drizzle really.  We put Dave's battery-operated trap up somewhere sheltered and then decided that the drizzle had become so light now that we would risk the others too.

We found another 7 Mottled Greys, some of which were quite worn and we pondered for a while whether they really were Mottled Greys or Early Tooth-striped.  Eventually we settled on the former but then I found one which I really wasn't convinced by - surely this one was an Early Tooth-striped?  I retained it to check and was later able to confirm that it was indeed a female Early Tooth-striped.

Early Tooth-striped, Thompson Water, 19th March

Other moths were about 20 March Tubics Diurnea fagella, 6 Winter Shades Tortricodes alternella, 4 March Moths, 4 Water Carpets, 4 Brindled Pugs, Early Thorn, 8 Oak Beauties, 4 Engraileds, Red Chestnut, 7 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 2 Hebrew Characters and 2 Chestnuts.

Red Chestnut, Thompson Water, 19th March

Three beetles all proved to be species I hadn't identified before: Mud-dweller Ilybius ater, Nebria brevicollis and Silpha atrata.  Actually I had seen the Silpha before but without access to decent reference material I had misidentified it as a different Silpha species.

Mud-dweller Ilybius ater, Thompson Water, 19th March

Nebria brevicollis, Thompson Water, 19th March

Silpha atrata, Thompson Water, 19th March

When I retained a smaller creature I thought it might be a rove beetle, having a long flexible abdomen apparently not covered by elytra.  But under the lens it didn't look like a beetle at all, lacking any elytra but being covered in long hairs.  A really strange thing that I couldn't even identify to order at first.  Springtails (Collembola) came to mind but I dismissed that thought as at about 4mm long it was several times bigger than springtails I'd seen before, but when I looked at it under the microscope and saw its furcula (tail-like appendages folded beneath the body that are used for jumping) I realised it was a springtail after all.  Turns out it was Orchesella villosa - sometimes called Hairy Springtail but I don't think that name is always reserved for this species as opposed to others in the family.  According to the maps at NBN Gateway there aren't any records in Norfolk, but I suspect that has more to do with the lack of Collembola records in their database than it being remotely unusual.

Orchesella villosa, Thompson Water, 19th March

Other things of note included Birch Catkin Bug Kleidocerys resedae, Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus and some White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger.

Birch Catkin Bug Kleidocerys resedae, Thompson Water, 19th March

Common Toads were not in such evidence as on Saturday but a few could still be found in the puddles.

Common Toads, Thompson Water, 19th March

At home 2 Twin-spotted Quakers were new for the garden year list.  There were also March Tubic Diurnea fagella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Early Thorn, 2 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 5 Hebrew Characters, Early Grey and Chestnut.

Twin-spotted Quaker, North Elmham, 19th March

Wood Mouse and Woodlouse (and a nice beetle and some moths)

The Wood Mouse was running in and out of the shed for ages on Saturday again, in the rain.  Seems to like the rain.

Wood Mouse, North Elmham, 9th April

Not much on Saturday night (3 March Moths, 2 Small Quakers, Common Quaker, Clouded Drab and 2 Hebrew Characters) but Sunday night was better with Red Chestnut new for the year.

Red Chestnut, North Elmham, 10th April

Some better totals of a couple of the commoner species too: March Moth, Shoulder Stripe, 8 Small Quakers, 5 Common Quakers, Clouded Drab, 14 Hebrew Characters, 3 Early Greys and Chestnut.

Early Thorn was new for the year at home on Monday night.  Also 3 March Moths, Shoulder Stripe, Double-striped Pug, Oak Beauty, Red Chestnut, 5 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 9 Hebrew Characters, 2 Early Greys and Chestnut.

Early Thorn, North Elmham, 11th April

Fewer moths on Tuesday night, though another common moth new for the year at home: Engrailed.  Also March Moth, Red Chestnut, 5 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.  I think the Red Chestnut was the same individual as I trapped on Monday night as it was distinctively worn, but Sunday's looked different.

Engrailed, North Elmham, 12th April

On Wednesday a Cereal Leaf Beetle Oulema melanopus/rufocyanea agg. appeared on my study windowsill.  Lovely beetle!

Cereal Leaf Beetle Oulema melanopus or Oulema rufocyanea, North Elmham, 13th April

Not much in the moth trap last nigtht: Early Thorn, 2 Small Quakers, Twin-spotted Quaker, 5 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.

Twin-spotted Quaker, North Elmham, 13th April

I had a look round the local patch before work this morning and found 2 Common Oak Purples Dyseriocrania subpurpurella there.  Also this unidentified small larva (sawfly sp.?).

unidentified larva, near Bittering, 14th April

Other things crawling down tree trunks included this Tree Slug.

Tree Slug, near Bittering, 14th April

I'd thought the following Woodlouse might be interesting.  Not when photographing it, but looking it up when I got home.  The information I found on the net suggested that I could rule out the common Porcellio scaber leading me to speculate that it might be either Porcellio spinicornis or Trachelipus rathkei, although neither seemed particularly likely.  Well James has had a look and he advises me that it is in fact Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber after all.  Ah well, I shall have to look a bit harder to find one of the scarcer ones, and buy myself a decent key.

Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber, near Bittering, 14th April

Alderford Common

A relatively warm Friday evening with cloud cover promised for most of the first part of the evening, so a good night to head out somewhere with a light.  Dave is keen to see Small Eggar and we failed to find recently where I'd seen one before at Creaking Gate Lake so he was keen to try his luck at Alderford Common this time, another site the species is known from and where there is plenty of suitable habitat.

We were disapppointed to find that the temperature had plummeted between leaving home and arriving on site - a heavy rain shower had recently passed through and I think it must have cooled things down a bit.  We set up anyway and things got off to a very slow start indeed.  After a while 1-2 moths had flown past the light but nothing had come in and I was starting to wonder if we should cut our losses and head home.  But we stuck it out and suddenly for no apparent reason it got livelier.  In the end it proved a worthwhile trip, although no Small Eggars for Dave.

The best of the macros was a Red Chestnut, followed by Water Carpet.

Red Chestnut, Alderford Common, 8th April

Also 2 March Moths, 3 Shoulder Stripes, 5 Brindled Pugs, Engrailed, 3 Small Quakers, 12 Common Quakers, 9 Clouded Drabs, 5 Twin-spotted Quakers, 2 Hebrew Characters and 2 Early Greys.  Counts are minimums - probably the numbers of the more numerous species were really quite a bit higher.

Shoulder Stripe, Alderford Common, 8th April

Clouded Drab, Alderford Common, 8th April

But as is so often the way it was the micros that provided the most excitement, despite there only being 3 species.  They included Dave's first and my second ever Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana.

Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana, Alderford Common, 8th April

Two Caloptilia looked like good candidates for elongella but on dissection provided to be Red Birch Slenders Caloptilia betulicola - a scarcer species and new to both of us.

Red Birch Slender Caloptilia betulicola (male, gen det), Alderford Common, 8th April

Red Birch Slender Caloptilia betulicola (female, gen det), Alderford Common, 8th April

The other micros were at least 4 March Tubics Diurnea fagella.

A few moths at home too: March Tubic Diurnea fagella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 March Moths, Shoulder Stripe, Oak Beauty, Small Quaker, Common Quaker and 4 Hebrew Characters.

Oak Beauty, North Elmham, 8th April

Red Chestnut and Pine Beauty

Wednesday night produced 3 moths that were new for the year, at least for the house: Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella (see separate post on those), 2 Double-striped Pugs and Red Chestnut.

 Red Chestnut, North Elmham, 15th April

Other stuff included 3 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Brindled Pug, 2 Early Thorns, 4 Small Quakers, 8 Common Quakers, 8 Clouded Drabs, 9 Hebrew Characters, 3 Early Greys and Chestnut.

There was less about the next night - or maybe I was just too sick to check carefully enough.  One moth made it worthwhile, a cracking Pine Beauty:

Pine Beauty, North Elmham, 16th April

Apart from that just Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Small Quakers, 3 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 11 Hebrew Characters and 3 Early Greys.


Friday night was worse: Early Thorn, Purple Thorn, Small Quaker, 2 Clouded Drabs, 2 Common Quakers, 7 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.

Saturday night was a similar story: Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, March Tubic Diurnea fagella, March Moth, 4 Small Quakers, 3 Clouded Drabs, 5 Common Quakers, 12 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.  The March Moth was easily my latest ever.

Red Chestnut: first field session of the year

The moth trap still isn't delivering despite the warm weather.  Sure temperatures are dipping at night but it's still as mild just after dusk as it has been all year and a far wider variety of moths should be on the wing by now (as evidenced by the impressive tallies some other recorders are notching up at the moment).  Thursday night's total of 23 moths felt busier but they consisted of just 7 species, all macros and all very common.  This Shoulder Stripe was best.

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 9th April

The others were 9 Small Quakers, 2 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 4 Hebrew Characters, 3 Early Greys and 2 Chestnuts. 

I'm trying placing the trap on a white sheet over the lawn rather than directly on the lawn.  Not sure if it will make much difference but will at least be easier to see any moths round the trap.  As I put it out this afternoon there were two critters on it straight away - a tiny black Rove Beetle that as yet I've not been able to name and a new bug for me: Peritrechus geniculatus*. 

*Update 2025 - I don't know what references I used to identify this bug but I'm pretty sure it's not Peritrechus geniculatus.  Maybe Drymus sylvaticus?

Rove Beetle sp., North Elmham, 9th April

Lygaeid originally misidentified as Peritrechus geniculatus, North Elmham, 9th April

I then headed off to the patch where dusking and tree-trunking failed to produce any moths at all.  Dave and I set up the MV at Creaking Gate Lake for our first proper field session of the year.  Things started slowly - very slowly in fact.  I'm sure I've seen groundhoppers before and overlooked them as baby grasshoppers or just ignored them, but Thursday's Slender Groundhopper was the first time I'd identified one.  First thing to the sheet this evening was the other species - Common Groundhopper.  

Common Groundhopper, Creaking Gate Lake, 10th April

 
Next up were some tiny beetles.  Quite a few all looking similar except some were tiny and the rest were so small they made the tiny ones look big.  Males and females perhaps, or different species - not sure.  Nearest I can get is Anaspis maculata but not sure the spots that give that species its name were clearly visible enough.

Beetles, Creaking Gate Lake, 10th April - what species?

Eventually some moths did appear.  All macros and not much variety - mostly species that are abundant at this time of year.  Engrailed and 2 Brindled Pugs were new for the year for me and by far the best was a nice Red Chestnut.

Red Chestnut, Creaking Gate Lake, 10th April

Others were 16 Small Quakers, 18 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 6 Hebrew Characters, 7 Chestnuts and 2 Nut-tree Tussocks.

These amorous toads spent most of the night wandering round seeing what was going on.  Not sure if they were very impressed.

 Common Toads, Creaking Gate Lake, 10th April

The 7 Chestnuts was the most I've ever seen together - my previous best being 4, also at Creaking Gate Lake, last year.  I've now seen 51 at North Elmham, but never more than 3 in a night - it was a similar story at Bawdeswell where despite being common I never had more than 2 together.

Back at home this Shoulder Stripe was in the same place as yesterday's but from the markings clearly a different individual.

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 10th April

 
There was a Brindled Pug here too.

Brindled Pug, North Elmham, 10th April

The rest of last night's moths were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 3 Small Quakers, 5 Common Quakers, 5 Clouded Drabs, 9 Hebrew Characters and 2 Early Greys.

Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, North Elmham, 10th April

This Common Green Shieldbug was the only other thing of note.

Common Green Shieldbug, North Elmham, 10th April