Review of 2019 and 2020 - Dragonflies: Hawkers, Goldenrings and Darters

HAWKERS and EMPERORS (family AESHNIDAE)


 
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta - Recorded at the meadows on 3rd August and 30th September 2019.  In between, recorded at a few other sites including my garden on 25th August.  Another in my garden on 21st August was, surprisingly, my only record in 2020.

Migrant Hawkers, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2019

Southern Migrant Hawker Aeshna affinis - Having identified Britain's second ever record of this species (from a photo taken by someone else in Sussex and posted on Flickr) I thought it was high time I actually saw one myself, so took the opportunity to pop down to Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.  It was a little difficult to be sure about numbers as individuals did sometimes move between pools but I'm pretty sure there were 6 males, and one was in tandem with a female.

Southern Migrant Hawkers, Thompson Common, 7th August 2020

Norfolk Hawker Aeshna isoceles - 2 at Winteron on 19th August 2019 including one that appeared to be stuck in water when we found it.

Norfolk Hawker, Winterton, 19th August 2019

Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis - 1-2 recorded at the meadows on 29th July and 3rd August 2019 and on 3rd and 12th August 2020.  Also one at Foxley Wood on 11th July 2020 and 2 at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.  One of the individuals at the meadows was at dusk, flying up and down the track right by where I was standing, but it was so dark I could barely see it let alone identify it.  I was carrying my net by my side (I was looking for moths) and couldn't believe it when the hawker flew straight into it without me even taking a swipe at it.

Brown Hawker, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

Southern Hawker Aeshna juncea - Just one at the meadows, on 29th July 2019.  Singles at Foxley Wood on 17th August 2019 and 10th July 2020; also one in the garden on 4th September 2020.


Emperor Anax imperator - A relatively good crop of records at the meadows in 2019 with 6 on 21st June and recorded up to 5th July.  In contrast just one in 2020, on 20th June.  Also recorded at Winterton on 19th August 2019 and Whitwell Street on 12th August 2020.  Lesser Emperor (and Vagrant Emperor) still elude me in Norfolk, not that I've put a great deal of effort into finding them.

Emperor Dragonfly, Winterton, 19th August 2019

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GOLDENRINGS (family CORDULEGASTRIDAE)


Golden-ringed Dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii - This was the Odonata highlight of my trip to Mull, a species I've only seen once or twice before.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly, west of Tioran (Mull), 10th June 2019

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CHASERS, SKIMMERS and DARTERS (family LIBELLULIDAE)


Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata - One on Mull and 3 at Winterton were my only records in 2019 but if that was bad I drew a complete blank in 2020.

Four-spotted Chaser, Winterton, 19th August 2019

Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa - None.  I've yet to find this species at the meadows and didn't record any at all in 2019 or 2020.


Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum - One at the meadows on 21st June was welcome after I failed to find this species there in 2018.  However there was no repeat in 2020 and I didn't see the species anywhere else either.

Black-tailed Skimmer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum - At least 30 at Winterton on 19th August 2019 and a similar number at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.  After 3 at the meadows in 2018 it was a shame I couldn't find this species there in either 2019 or 2020.

Ruddy Darter, Winterton, 19th August 2019

Ruddy Darter, Thompson Common, 7th August 2020

Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum - Small numbers at the meadows between 29th July and 9th October 2019 and between 12th August and 11th September 2020.  Also recorded at Foxley Wood and Winterton in 2019, and in my garden on 29th August 2019 and 5th and 11th September 2020.

Common Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th August 2019

That's it for the dragonflies - you can return to the Dragonfly index

Leopard Moth and Red-tipped Clearwing

New for the year on 4th July were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana and Leopard Moth.

Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, North Elmham, 4th July

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, North Elmham, 4th July

Leopard Moth, North Elmham, 4th July

The other moths were 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Drinker, Small Fan-footed Wave, 7 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, Barred Straw, 3 Clouded Borders, 2 Willow Beauties, Engrailed, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Coxcomb Prominent, Dingy Footman, 33 Common Footmen, 11 Buff Ermines, Double Square-spot, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Dark Arches, 3 Common Rustics, 13 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, 2 Burnished Brasses, Straw Dot and Fan-foot.

A whirligig beetle proved to be a Common Whirligig Gyrinus substriatus, the first time I have identified any of this family to species level.  There was also another Lagria hirta.

Common Whirligig Gyrinus substriatus, North Elmham, 4th July

Other things included the brown lacewings Hemerobius humulinus, the caddisflies Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus marmoratus, a Common Toad and new for the garden, the common centipede Lithobius forficatus.

Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus, North Elmham, 4th July

I left the pheromone lure for Red-tipped Clearwing out in the garden and attracted one Red-tipped Clearwing, my first of the year.

Red-tipped Clearwing, North Elmham, 4th July - with a close-up showing the vivid orange palps

A morning visit to the Cathedral Meadows was productive, being one of the better days for butterflies including 3 Large Whites, 13 Green-veined Whites, 35 Meadow Browns, 120 Ringlets, 5 Gatekeepers (the only date I saw multiple Gatekeepers this year), Essex Skipper and 20 Small Skippers.  Moths consisted of Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 3 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella and 6 Cinnabar caterpillars.

Essex Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

I retained this Field Grasshopper in order to confirm its identification, not realising that it wasn't fully adult - when I looked at it later in the week it had moulted.

Field Grasshopper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

the same Field Grasshopper and its former skin on 9th July

Dragonflies included Banded Demoiselle and 2 Ruddy Darters.

Banded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Ruddy Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

There were lots of Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva again (at least the two I checked were this species and the others looked the same), as well as 7-spot Ladybirds and Swollen-thighed Beetles.

A Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes was a new one for me; other hymenoptera included German Wasp, 10 Red-tailed Bumblebees and Common Carder Bee.  Hoverflies included probable Sphaerophoria taeniata, Cheilosia illustrata and Volucella pellucens.

Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

I think this leafmine on a Sow-thistle belongs to the fly Liriomyza sonchi.

leafmine of Liriomyza sonchi on Sow-thistle sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

I returned to the meadows that night for some moth-trapping.  This proved successful and I caught 104 species before heading home.  Although there was nothing enormously exciting among them there were plenty of good moths like Sorrel Bent-wing Opostega salaciella, Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, 2 White-foot Bells Epiblema foenella, Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, Peach Blossom, Buff Arches and Dotted Fan-foot.

Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Buff Arches, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Dotted Fan-foot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

In theory you can't separate Orchard, Apple and Spindle Ermines from one another but I'm not sure either Apple or Spindle can ever get as grey as some Orchard Ermines, in which case this one was surely an Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella.

probable Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

The others were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Hawthorn Ermines Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 2 Common Oak Case-bearers Coleophora lutipennella, 2 Tipped Oak Case-bearers Coleophora flavipennella, 8 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, 3 Knapweed Conches Agapeta zoegana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 4 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 2 Green Oak Tortrixes Tortrix viridana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, 2 Bramble Shoots Notocelia uddmanniana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 3 Satin Grass-veneers Crambus perlella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 5 Dotted Oak Knot-horns Phycita roborella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 4 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, Barred Yellow, Small Rivulet, Bordered Pug, Small Yellow Wave, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, 3 Swallow-tailed Moths, 2 Peppered Moths, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, 2 Clouded Silvers, Poplar Hawk-moth, 4 Elephant Hawk-moths, Iron Prominent, 2 Coxcomb Prominents, Yellow-tail, Round-winged Muslin, Rosy Footman, Dingy Footman, 10 Common Footmen, Buff Ermine, Ruby Tiger, Short-cloaked Moth, Heart and Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Clay, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Poplar Grey, Knot Grass, Dun-bar, Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Tawny Marbled Minor, Dusky Sallow, Uncertain, Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, Spectacle, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot, 2 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

White Plume Pterophorus pentadactylus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Brimstone Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Coxcomb Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Rosy Footman, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July

Other insects included Common Earwig, the caddisflies Goera pilosa and Limnephilus rhombicus and the beetle Lagria hirta.

Regal Piercer

A wander round the Cathedral Meadows on 27th June produced a good variety of interesting insects including five I'd not previously recorded.  The best of these was a new moth, but embarrassingly I stuffed up the ID at the time.  No excuses for that as it's a distinctive species, but one that wasn't really on my radar and, having found this one on a Sycamore I shoe-horned it into the vaguely-similar Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita.  Months later I happened upon a photo of a Regal Piercer Pammene regiana and realised immediately that this was in fact the moth I'd seen (these occur on Sycamore too).

Regal Piercer Pammene regiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

There was also an Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana on some Hogweed.

Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Other moths were Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteucha culmella, and the continuing larvae of the Small Eggars.  There was a good variety of butterflies including 50 Ringlets.

Ringlet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

 Quite a few dragonflies too, including one of my earliest ever Ruddy Darters.

Ruddy Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Both Common Green and Meadow Grasshoppers were found, and surprisingly both were new species for me.  I've not a huge amount with grasshoppers in the past but enough that I should have recorded these two species before now.

Common Green Grasshopper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Bugs included a creche of 48 Parent Bugs, final instars I think, and up to 8 Orthotylus adenocarpi, a new species for me.  I say up to 8 because I only checked one of them carefully.  They were all found on Broom but there are other very similar species occurring on Broom so it is possible that they were not all the same species.

Parent Bugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Orthotylus adenocarpi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

This beetle proved to be a Common Malachite Malachius bipustulatus.

Common Malachite Malachius bipustulatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

A hoverfly turned out to be Cheilosia illustrata, another new species for me, and there was also a Hornet.

Cheilosa illustrata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Hornet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

I really enjoyed the display of Musk Mallow in the wildflower meadow:

Musk Mallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

The Turkscap Lily was still looking good...

Turkscap Lily, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

That night at home the highlight was a Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, only my third ever and the first for my garden. It seemed to me to be a good year for this species because I went on to have another three, including two more in the garden, however by the time of writing there were only two other records in the Norfolk Moth Survey database this year which is less than usual.

Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, North Elmham, 27th June

Lesser Cream Wave and Shaded Broad-bar were new for the year.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 27th June

Shaded Broad-bar, North Elmham, 27th June

Other moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Buff Mompha Mompha ochraceella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 7 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 4 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Dwarf Cream Waves, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 9 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, 6 Barred Straws, 2 Barred Yellows, Currant Pug, 2 Common Pugs, Double-striped Pug, Small Yellow Wave, 3 Brimstone Moths, Lilac Beauty, Willow Beauty, 3 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, 2 Clouded Silvers, 4 Common Footmen, 8 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Clubs, Heart and Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Double Square-spots, 2 Clays, Common Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, Treble Lines, 9 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Beautiful Hook-tip, 4 Snouts and Fan-foot, and there was one caddisfly, Hydropsyche pellucidula.