Birch Mocha Cyclophora albipunctata - None. I've only recorded this species here once, in 2018.
Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria - 9 recorded here between 22nd April (my earliest ever) and 8th August 2019 - an average total. Only 4 in 2020, between 17th May and 12th August. Elsewhere one at the meadows on 22nd August 2019 and my highest count ever, 4 at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.
Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 22nd April 2019
Maiden's Blush, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019
Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 18th May 2020
Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 12th August 2020
Clay Triple-lines Cyclophora linearia - None at home - I've had 3 here since moving in in August 2014. Elsewhere one Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019 and one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019. None in 2020.
Clay Triple-lines, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019
Vestal Rhodometra sacraria - None. I've only ever caught one of these fantastic migrant moths here, or indeed anywhere in Norfolk - in the good Vestal year of 2017.
Oblique Striped Phibalapteryx virgata - None. In Norfolk this species is mainly known from the Brecks but there are a scattering of records through central Norfolk so it may turn up here someday.
July Belle Scotopteryx luridata - None. The two we had at the Norfolk Moth Survey event at Hockering Wood in 2012 appear to be the nearest anyone has found this species so perhaps my chances of finding one locally aren't all that high.
Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx chenopodiata - Totals of 13 at home between 18th and 30th July 2019 and 14 between 2nd July and 14th August 2020 - I average considerably more a year (22). Elsewhere 6 at the meadows and recorded at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and Foxley Wood on 17th August 2019.
Shaded Broad-bar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020
Oblique Carpet Orthonama vittata - None. In Norfolk this species is mainly known from the Broads but I've recorded it twice here, in 2016 and 2018.
Gem Nycterosea obstipata - None. I never do well for migrants here but even so, this species is becoming a bit of a bogey-moth for me, having not yet found one anywhere.
Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata - Totals of 24 here between 24th April and 6th September 2019 and 17 between 27th April and 9th November 2020 - I average 25 a year and 2020 was my worst year here so far (but the record on 9th November was my latest ever in Norfolk by 24 days). Elsewhere 3 at the meadows and one at Whitwell Street.
Garden Carpet, North Elmham, 24th April 2019
Garden Carpet, North Elmham, 16th May 2019
Balsam Carpet Xanthorhoe biriviata - None. Although there are a handful of records of this mainly Broadland species in or around the Wensum Valley, I'd have to be quite lucky to get one round here.
Red Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe spadicearia - At least 21 here between 2nd May and 8th August 2019. I didn't count them on 5 nights but I only had singles on the nights around this period where I did count, so the true total probably wasn't much higher than 21. In any event it was by far my worst year ever for this species which had been averaging at 64 a year over the previous 4 years. 2020 was better but still worse than the previous years, with 41 between 18th May and 14th August. Elsewhere 1-2 at the meadows on 7 nights, one at Bintree Wood, one at Sculthorpe Moor and 2 at Hills and Holes. To ensure that I am identifying these and Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets correctly I usually select a small number to dissect, particularly from among those showing at least one character associated with the other species, such as a darker-than-normal bar. Excepting very worn individuals my provisional ID almost invariably turns out to be correct so I don't think this is as challenging a duo as some sources have suggested in the past.
Red Twin-spot Carpets, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019 (the top one a confirmed male)
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata - At least 35 here between 25th April and 3rd September 2019. I didn't count them on 2 nights but I only had 1-2 on the nights around these dates, so the true total won't have been much higher than 35. This was a fairly typical showing for this species, but it was the first time that numbers of this species exceeded the number of Red Twin-spot Carpets. Only 14 in 2020, between 8th May and 16th August. Elsewhere a couple next door, singles at the meadows on 7 nights and 3 at Sculthorpe Moor. Given that fairly recently this species was thought to be heavily over-recorded and a lot rarer than the number of records suggested (due to confusion with dark-barred examples of Red Twin-spot Carpet) I confirmed nearly all of my records for a number of years. With a negligible error rate I've stopped doing this now, but still check a small selection to make sure (including all of those shown below). It's probably not a coincidence that the reddest-barred individuals I've caught and confirmed have been worn specimens.
male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 26th April 2019
male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 8th May 2019
female Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 16th May 2019
male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019
male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 3rd September 2019
male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 8th May 2020
Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata - 2019 was my worst year yet with just 2 recorded in my garden, on 25th and 30th May. Previous annual totals have ranged from 5 to 14 and there were 6 in 2020, between 31st July and 17th September. Elsewhere one at Sculthorpe Moor and 2 on Mull.
Flame Carpet, Sculthorpe Moor, 26th April 2019
Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 25th May 2019
Flame Carpet, Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019
Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 31st July 2020
Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata - Totals of 49 caught at home between 19th May and 23rd June 2019 and 41 between 17th May and 15th June 2020. These were my lowest total so far, though not be a long way - I've averaged 60 a year here. Elsewhere 13 at the meadows, 2 at Hills and Holes, one at Keswick and 7 at various sites on Mull.
Silver-ground Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May 2019
Silver-ground Carpets, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020
Large Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata - My worst years for this species too, with 7 at home between 25th June and 24th July 2019 and just 2 in 2020, on 15th July and 2nd August. I had been averaging around 20 a year. Elsewhere one at the meadows, singles at Bintree Wood, Hellesdon and Weybourne.
Large Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 25th June 2019
Large Twin-spot Carpet, Weybourne, 5th July 2019
Rotal Mantle Catarhoe cuculata - None. This species is mainly recorded in Norfolk in the Brecks and NW Norfolk but there are a couple of records from the Wensum Valley so maybe I'll get one locally one day.
Ruddy Carpet Catarhoe rubidata - None. I've never seen this species but there have been a handful of recent records not all that far away from here so I'm optimistic.
Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata - 13 recorded at home between 29th June and 25th August 2019 and 9 between 12th June and 17th August 2020. I average 13-14 here. A total of 36 seen at the meadows, often during the day, plus 2 at the allotment and singles at Bintree Wood, Swanton Great Wood, Whitwell Street and on Mull.
Yellow Shell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th May 2019
Yellow Shell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019
Yellow Shell, North Elmham, 29th June 2019
Yellow Shell, North Elmham, 12th June 2020
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