GOAT and LEOPARD MOTHS (COSSIDAE)
Goat Moth Cossus cossus - None. Sadly I didn't join the excellent field trip to Weeting Heath where they caught no less than 3 Goat Moths! I've never seen this species but there are records from not too far away including one at Lyng in 2019, so I've not given up hope of finding one locally.
Leopard Moth Zeuzera pyrina - Singles at home on 5 nights between 23rd June and 6th August 2019. This species is just about annual here but 5 nights is the most I've ever recorded it on in a year, though I have trapped more than 5 individuals in a year before. In 2020 2 on 26th June and one on 21st July; also one at Bintree Wood on 24th July. I don't think this is a moth you can ever see too many of. Most don't go in the trap - they just flop on to the grass nearby.
CLEARWINGS (SESIIDAE)
Raspberry Clearwing Pennisetia hylaeiformis - None. I've been trying for this for 3-4 years but have had no luck yet. That it's worth looking for is now clear - after the first county record in 2018 there were 4 more records in 2020.
Hornet Moth Sesia apiformis - None. This species came to lure here in 2017 (2) and 2018 but no luck in 2019 or 2020.
Lunar Hornet Moth Sesia bembeciformis - One of the events of 2020 was the discovery that this shy and elusive species isn't half as rare as we thought it was. A new pheremone lure became available and most of us who got hold of it quickly had instant success with it, some of us getting them in within just a few minutes (I had 2 by 9.15am on 2nd July). It remains to be seen whether they will be this easy every year or if 2020 was a good year for them. A week or two later, still well within their flight period, they became much harder to find and I failed to get any at the meadows.
Large Red-belted Clearwing Synanthedon culiciformis - None. Maybe I shall have to head to some heaths to find this species but I still reckon I've got a chance of attracting one to the garden - indeed I see someone found one very near here in 2020. No such luck for me yet though.
Red-tipped Clearwing Synanthedon formicaeformis - 2 in the garden on 23rd June 2019 and 4 between 21st May and 17th June 2020, the third and fourth consecutive years I've recorded this species here. All came to the Red-tipped Clearwing lure except for one which came to the Yellow-legged Clearwing lure (though it's possible I'd had the Red-tipped Clearwing lure in there beforehand and not cleaned it out properly).
Orange-tailed Clearwing Synanthedon andrenaeformis - I was a bit disappointed in 2017 to find that my first Orange-tailed Clearwing attracted to lure died in the trap so I never saw it alive. I have never had the same problem with any other clearwing until 29th June 2019 when I caught my second Orange-tailed Clearwing, and was gutted to find that this was dead too. Thankfully I got two more chances in 2019 catching live examples on 3rd and 4th July. The first two came to VES Yellow-legged Clearwing lure as expected but the last came to the HYL lure for Raspberry Clearwing, however I hadn't cleaned the lure holder since the previous day so it may have been attracted to scent left on it from then. Another one on 13th June 2020.
Red-belted Clearwing Synanthedon myopaeformis - 2 in my garden on 25th June 2020. I had lures for both Red-belted and Large Red-belted Clearwings out and one went in each. I've only caught this species here once before, in 2018. Note that although this species is meant to have white palps (orange on Large Red-belted) one of these had extensively orange tips to the (otherwise white) palps.
Yellow-legged Clearwing Synanthedon vespiformis - Totals of 5 in my garden between 2nd and 30th June 2019 and 3 between 19th May and 31st July. The third and fourth years running I've caught this species here. All came to the VES lure for Yellow-legged Clearwings except for the last which came to the new lure for Orange-tailed Clearwing.
Currant Clearwing Synanthedon tipuliformis - 3 in the garden on 30th June 2019 and 2 on 25th June 2020. They all came to the TIP Currant Clearwing lure and the 2019 ones at least were late afternoon/evening. The third and fourth consecutive years I've recorded this species here.
Six-belted Clearwing Bembecia ichneumoniformis - One to the pheremone lure for this species here in my garden on 25th June 2020, the first record in this 10k square. It hadn't been one I was particularly expecting given the absence of records from central Norfolk but Keith catching 4 in Litcham in 2019 gave me hope that it might be possible, and sure enough in 2020 it proved to be so.
FESTOON (LIMACODIDAE)
Festoon Apoda limacodes - None. I haven't recorded this species any closer than Weston Park but it doesn't seem to much of a stretch to hope for one to turn up round here.
BURNETS (ZYGAENIDAE)
Forester Adscita statices - None. I haven't recorded this species locally and there aren't many records anywhere near here. Just enough to give me some hope though.
Slender Scotch Burnet Zygaena loti - At least 3 found at Slochd, west of Tioran, on Mull in June 2019. This species is endemic to Mull and two of the smaller adjacent islands so it was high on my wanted list during this trip. In the end it was the only Burnet I found (shame about the Transparent, but there'll be another chance to see them one day).
Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae - 8 at the Cathedral Meadows on 24th June 2019 and one there on 29th July. None in 2020.
Five-spot Burnet agg. Zygaena lonicerae/trifoli - One at Foxley Wood on 11th July 2020. This is the nearest I've come to recording either species or unidentified aggregates locally but there are a few records from this part of the world so perhaps I can expect to before too long. Also a caterpillar at Brancaster on 2nd July which was either Five-spot Burnet or Six-spot Burnet (Narrow-bordered Five-spot has longer hairs).
Goat Moth Cossus cossus - None. Sadly I didn't join the excellent field trip to Weeting Heath where they caught no less than 3 Goat Moths! I've never seen this species but there are records from not too far away including one at Lyng in 2019, so I've not given up hope of finding one locally.
Leopard Moth Zeuzera pyrina - Singles at home on 5 nights between 23rd June and 6th August 2019. This species is just about annual here but 5 nights is the most I've ever recorded it on in a year, though I have trapped more than 5 individuals in a year before. In 2020 2 on 26th June and one on 21st July; also one at Bintree Wood on 24th July. I don't think this is a moth you can ever see too many of. Most don't go in the trap - they just flop on to the grass nearby.
Leopard Moth, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019
Leopard Moth, North Elmham, 26th June 2020
-----------------------------------
CLEARWINGS (SESIIDAE)
Raspberry Clearwing Pennisetia hylaeiformis - None. I've been trying for this for 3-4 years but have had no luck yet. That it's worth looking for is now clear - after the first county record in 2018 there were 4 more records in 2020.
Hornet Moth Sesia apiformis - None. This species came to lure here in 2017 (2) and 2018 but no luck in 2019 or 2020.
Lunar Hornet Moth Sesia bembeciformis - One of the events of 2020 was the discovery that this shy and elusive species isn't half as rare as we thought it was. A new pheremone lure became available and most of us who got hold of it quickly had instant success with it, some of us getting them in within just a few minutes (I had 2 by 9.15am on 2nd July). It remains to be seen whether they will be this easy every year or if 2020 was a good year for them. A week or two later, still well within their flight period, they became much harder to find and I failed to get any at the meadows.
Lunar Hornet Moths, North Elmham, 2nd July 2020 (first 3 photos are the same moth, last is a different one)
Large Red-belted Clearwing Synanthedon culiciformis - None. Maybe I shall have to head to some heaths to find this species but I still reckon I've got a chance of attracting one to the garden - indeed I see someone found one very near here in 2020. No such luck for me yet though.
Red-tipped Clearwing Synanthedon formicaeformis - 2 in the garden on 23rd June 2019 and 4 between 21st May and 17th June 2020, the third and fourth consecutive years I've recorded this species here. All came to the Red-tipped Clearwing lure except for one which came to the Yellow-legged Clearwing lure (though it's possible I'd had the Red-tipped Clearwing lure in there beforehand and not cleaned it out properly).
Red-tipped Clearwing, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019
Red-tipped Clearwing, North Elmham, 31st May 2020
Red-tipped Clearwing, North Elmham, 17th June 2020
Orange-tailed Clearwing Synanthedon andrenaeformis - I was a bit disappointed in 2017 to find that my first Orange-tailed Clearwing attracted to lure died in the trap so I never saw it alive. I have never had the same problem with any other clearwing until 29th June 2019 when I caught my second Orange-tailed Clearwing, and was gutted to find that this was dead too. Thankfully I got two more chances in 2019 catching live examples on 3rd and 4th July. The first two came to VES Yellow-legged Clearwing lure as expected but the last came to the HYL lure for Raspberry Clearwing, however I hadn't cleaned the lure holder since the previous day so it may have been attracted to scent left on it from then. Another one on 13th June 2020.
Orange-tailed Clearwing, North Elmham, 3rd July 2019
Orange-tailed Clearwing, North Elmham, 13th June 2020
Red-belted Clearwing Synanthedon myopaeformis - 2 in my garden on 25th June 2020. I had lures for both Red-belted and Large Red-belted Clearwings out and one went in each. I've only caught this species here once before, in 2018. Note that although this species is meant to have white palps (orange on Large Red-belted) one of these had extensively orange tips to the (otherwise white) palps.
Red-belted Clearwings, North Elmham, 25th June 2020 - first 2 photos are the same moth and last 2 are the other moth
Yellow-legged Clearwing Synanthedon vespiformis - Totals of 5 in my garden between 2nd and 30th June 2019 and 3 between 19th May and 31st July. The third and fourth years running I've caught this species here. All came to the VES lure for Yellow-legged Clearwings except for the last which came to the new lure for Orange-tailed Clearwing.
Yellow-legged Clearwing, North Elmham, 22nd June 2019
Yellow-legged Clearwing, North Elmham, 25th June 2020
Yellow-legged Clearwing, North Elmham, 31st July 2020
Currant Clearwing Synanthedon tipuliformis - 3 in the garden on 30th June 2019 and 2 on 25th June 2020. They all came to the TIP Currant Clearwing lure and the 2019 ones at least were late afternoon/evening. The third and fourth consecutive years I've recorded this species here.
Currant Clearwings, North Elmham, 25th June 2020
Six-belted Clearwing Bembecia ichneumoniformis - One to the pheremone lure for this species here in my garden on 25th June 2020, the first record in this 10k square. It hadn't been one I was particularly expecting given the absence of records from central Norfolk but Keith catching 4 in Litcham in 2019 gave me hope that it might be possible, and sure enough in 2020 it proved to be so.
Six-belted Clearwing, North Elmham, 25th June 2020
-----------------------------------
FESTOON (LIMACODIDAE)
Festoon Apoda limacodes - None. I haven't recorded this species any closer than Weston Park but it doesn't seem to much of a stretch to hope for one to turn up round here.
-----------------------------------
BURNETS (ZYGAENIDAE)
Forester Adscita statices - None. I haven't recorded this species locally and there aren't many records anywhere near here. Just enough to give me some hope though.
Slender Scotch Burnet Zygaena loti - At least 3 found at Slochd, west of Tioran, on Mull in June 2019. This species is endemic to Mull and two of the smaller adjacent islands so it was high on my wanted list during this trip. In the end it was the only Burnet I found (shame about the Transparent, but there'll be another chance to see them one day).
Slender Scotch Burnets, west of Tioran (Mull), 10th June 2019
Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae - 8 at the Cathedral Meadows on 24th June 2019 and one there on 29th July. None in 2020.
Five-spot Burnet agg. Zygaena lonicerae/trifoli - One at Foxley Wood on 11th July 2020. This is the nearest I've come to recording either species or unidentified aggregates locally but there are a few records from this part of the world so perhaps I can expect to before too long. Also a caterpillar at Brancaster on 2nd July which was either Five-spot Burnet or Six-spot Burnet (Narrow-bordered Five-spot has longer hairs).
Five-spot Burnet or Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet, Foxley Wood, 11th July 2020
Five-spot Burnet or Six-spot Burnet, Brancaster, 6th July 2020
Next page: Pyralidae
