Honeysuckle Moth and more

Tuesday 15th August was a quiet nigth with just the following trapped: Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 16 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Brimstone Moth, Pale Prominent, Dingy Footman, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Small Square-spots, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Common Wainscot, Flounced Rustic and Straw Dot; also the beetle Bradycellus verbasci. There was also Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella and Black Sexton Beetle in the house.

Next day was much better with 47 species of moth including no less than 5 new for the year: Honeysuckle Moth Ypsolopha dentella (not quite annual here), Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis (a migrant), Tawny Speckled Pug, Narrow-winged Pug (mainly a heathland species but I've had singles at home in each of the last 3 years) and Straw Underwing.

Honeysuckle Moth Ypsolopha dentella, North Elmham, 16th August

Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, North Elmham, 16th August

Tawny Speckled Pug, North Elmham, 16th August

Narrow-winged Pug, North Elmham, 16th August

Straw Underwing, North Elmham, 16th August

Other moths that night were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, 2 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, 14 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Maiden's Blush, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Garden Carpets, Common Carpet, Green Carpet, Currant Pug, 9 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, 3 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, Light Emerald, Pale Prominent, Dingy Footman, 3 Flame Shoulders, 7 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, 10 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Square-spotted Clays, 2 Common Wainscots, Flounced Rustic, 2 Burnished Brasses, 3 Straw Dots and 2 Snouts.

Two of the 4 species of caddisflies were new for the year: Crunoecia irrorata and Grammotaulius nigropunctatus; the others were Hydropsyche pellucidula and 2 Limnephilus lunatus.

Crunoecia irrorata (male), North Elmham, 16th August

Grammotaulius nigropunctatus (female), North Elmham, 16th August

A Chrysoperla lucasina was only my second example of this green lacewing; there was also a female Chrysoperla carnea agg.  There were 3 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum (mayflies), a Forest Bug, the leafhopper Empoasca vitis and a new beetle for the house: Acorn Weevil Curculio glandium.

Chrysoperla lucasina, North Elmham, 16th August

Acorn Weevil Curculio glandium, North Elmham, 16th August

Dark Spinach and Phyllonorycter corylifoliella

My last post referred to a mid-August lull and 17th August was still in that lull with relatively few moths.  But one of them was a Dark Spinach, a lifer for me, so I wasn't complaining.

Dark Spinach, North Elmham, 17th August

Other species recorded that night were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 4 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 4 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Maple Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Coxcomb Prominent, Black Arches, Ruby Tiger, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, Square-spot Rustic, 7 Flounced Rustics, Rustic, Silver Y, Spectacle and 10 Straw Dots.

 Maple Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th August

Several wasps in the trap too, at least one of which was Common Wasp.

The following night produced Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Blood-vein, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, 3 Common Carpets, 2 Brimstone Moths, Ruby Tiger, 5 Flame Shoulders, 6 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Flounced Rustics, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, 11 Straw Dots and Snout.

For the first time in a while I took a closer look at some of the caddis in the trap, partly because I could see straight away that one of them was new for the year.  It's such a distinctive species that I had identified them in previous years without the use of a key, but having said that there are a couple of quite similar species so it was good to confirm one properly now - Athripsodes albifrons.

Athripsodes albifrons (female), North Elmham, 18th August

The other caddis I retained proved to be male Hydropsyche siltalai and female Polycentropus irroratus.  I had thought I'd identified the latter species early on in the year but subsquently decided it had been Polycentropus flavomaculatus, as all the subsequent ones I checked seemed to be flavomaculatus too.  They're not easy, so possible I have made mistakes with some, but I had a very careful look at this one's subgenital plate having thoroughly cleaned it in potassium hydroxide, and am satisfied it was irroratus.

Polycentropus irroratus (female), North Elmham, 18th August

This leafhopper is a Kybos sp. but I'm not sure I can positively say which one.  I suspect Kybos betulicola.

Kybos sp., probably Kybos betulicola, North Elmham, 18th August

The highlight on 19th August was my first Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella.  It's actually a very common species with loads of records of its leafmines, but adults are a little harder to find.

 Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th August

Other moths that night were Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 5 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, Orange Swift, Riband Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, Wormwood Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, Black Arches, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 4 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Straw Underwing, Common Rustic, 5 Flounced Rustics and 14 Straw Dots. Earlier in the day there had been a Silver Y feeding in the garden.

There were still only 30 species on 20th August, but these included 3 new for the year so I guess that was a sign of things improving.  Those were Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis and Mouse Moth.

Wainscot Smudge Yposolopha scabrella, North Elmham, 20th August

Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, North Elmham, 20th August

Mouse Moth, North Elmham, 20th August

The others that night were 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 3 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 12 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pebble Hook-tip, Riband Wave, Common Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Swallow Prominent, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 5 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 8 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spotted Clay, Six-striped Rustic, Square-spot Rustic, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, Flounced Rustic, Spectacle and 7 Straw Dots.

A very late Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and a couple of late migrants

The highlight on Guy Fawkes Night was a Variable Smudge Ypsolopha ustella, my first here and only my fourth ever.

Variable Smudge Ypsolopha ustella, North Elmham, 5th November

The weirdest record this night was a Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, a common species but one that normally stops flying at the end of August.  I checked the wing pattern and genitalia carefully to rule out Langmaid's, not that that's a late speices either.

exceptionally late Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 5th November

Good to see one late migrant - even if it was only a Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella.

Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, North Elmham, 5th November

Other moths that night were 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Pale November Moths, November Moth agg., 4 Feathered Thorns and 5 Sprawlers.

The next few nights were a bit more ordinary:

• Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, December Moth, Pale November Moth, November Moth agg., 9 Feathered Thorns, Mottled Umber, 3 Sprawlers and Green-brindled Crescent on 6th;
• December Moth, November Moth, Pale November Moth, Feathered Thorn and 2 Sprawlers on 7th;
• Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, 5 December Moths, November Moth, 2 Pale November Moths, 4 Feathered Thorns and Yellow-line Quaker on 8th;
• Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, December Moth, Feathered Thorn, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Sprawler and Dark Chestnut on 9th.

December Moth, North Elmham, 6th November

The first December Moth on 8th seemed very small, and when I found the second and put them side-by-side the size difference was remarkable.  The second was in fact a bit larger than most as you can see when all 5 are in a row (they're the 3rd and 4th from the left in the second photo).

December Moths, North Elmham, 8th November

The next 3 nights' catches all consisted of Sprawlers and one other species.  On 10th November it was 5 Sprawlers and my first Scarce Umber of the year.

Scarce Umber, North Elmham, 10th November

11th was single Sprawler and Yellow-line Quaker and on 12th it was my first Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis of the year and 2 Sprawlers.  Nice to get a migrant so late in the year.

Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, North Elmham, 12th November

The Sprawlers were my last of the year (assuming I don't get any late ones) and brought the total for the autumn to an incredible 60 individuals.

Just one Mottled Umber on 13th and Satellite and Chestnut on 14th.  So few moths you'd think it was mid November already...

 Satellite, North Elmham, 14th November

I was a bit surprised to find a leafhopper in the trap on 14th, with it being such a cool night.  Having eliminated some similar species on wing-venation I'm pretty sure it's Eupteryx filicum, a new species for me.

(UPDATE 2025: I no longer consider this leafhopper to be Eupteryx filicum - that species should have a dark abdomen which would be visible through the wings here.)

now unidentified leafhopper, North Elmham, 14th November

A Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, on 15th November was the only one of these I've had this autumn.  Also Feathered Thorn and Setaceous Hebrew Character.

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 15th November

A Chestnut was the only moth on 16th.