Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 7: Minors to Sallows

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE) (continued)


Rosy Minor Litoligia literosa - None.  I've only ever seen this species at the coast but there are quite a few records locally including some very nearby, so it must be high up on the "next most likely new moth for the garden" list.


Cloaked Minor Mesoligia furuncula - At least 13 in the garden between 7th July and 21st August 2019 (not counted on 2 nights but unlikely to have been many more than singles).  That was about average (then 15 a year) but in 2020 I caught a record 53 including a peak count of 12 on 31st July, 3 times my previous highest count.  Elsewhere recorded next door on 4 consecutive nights in 2019, one at the meadows in 2019 and 11 there in 2020 over 2 nights.

Cloaked Minor, North Elmham, 14th July 2019

Cloaked Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

Cloaked Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Marbled Minor Oligia strigilis - Totals of 10 confirmed in the garden between 26th May and 25th June 2019 and 12 between 20th May and 25th June 2020.  I'd been thinking that I wouldn't bother confirming all the Marbled Minor aggs. from 2019 to save time (and moths) but there were so few I only let one go unconfirmed in the end.  The average annual tally here is 17-18.  Also 4 at the meadows in 2019.

male Marbled Minors, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

male Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 5th June 2019

male Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 18th June 2019

female Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 30th May 2020

male Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 17th June 2020

Tawny Marbled Minor Oligia latruncula - 6 caught in the garden between 7th June and 18th July 2019 and 8 between 20th May and 27th June 2020.  2019 was my worst year to date for this species - I catch 14 a year on average.

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 27th June 2019

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 4th July 2019

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 14th July 2019

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 20th May 2020

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 3rd June 2020

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 27th June 2020

Rufous Minor Oligia versicolor - Singles trapped and confirmed at home on 15th and 21st July 2019 - my third consecutive year of recording 2 here (following 5 in 2015 and 10 in 2016).  Better in 2020 when 5 between 26th June and 13th July.  Also one at the meadows on 7th July 2019.

male Rufous Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

male Rufous Minor, North Elmham, 15th July 2019

male Rufous Minor, North Elmham, 21st July 2019

male Rufous Minor, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

female Rufous Minor, North Elmham, 9th July 2020

Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg. - In addition to those detailed above, 3 at home, 4 at the meadows and 2 at Weybourne.  The following chart shows the relative flight times of the 3 species based on records here from 2015 to 2020.  Throughout this time I identified all individuals throughout their flight periods, with the exception of the a few random individuals that got away.

Middle-barred Minor Oligia fasciuncula - Totals of 28 trapped at home between 1st and 28th June 2018 and just 4 between 21st May and 23rd June 2020.  I started with 59 in 2015 and each year since has been worse than or the same as the year before, but the 4 in 2020 was especially lame.  Elsewhere 6 at the meadows on 4 dates (including a later one on 7th July 2019).

Middle-barred Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Middle-barred Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Orange Sallow Tiliacea citrago - One at the meadows on 15th September 2019; none in 2020.  I've caught 4 of these in the garden, in 2014, 2017 (2) and 2018.

Orange Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th September 2019

Barred Sallow Tiliacea aurago - 6 in the garden between 30th September and 11th October 2019 and just one in 2020, on 16th October.  I've had up to 21 in a year here and never less than 6 before (the poor total in 2020 may have been partly down to me being away in Cornwall for a few days during its peak flight period).  Also one on Ivy at the meadows on 4th October 2019.

Barred Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019

Pink-barred Sallow Xanthia togata - 12 caught in the garden between 28th September and 7th October 2019 and 7 between 22nd September and 14th October 2020.  Excluding 2020 when I was away for a few days during the peak flight period, the annual average here is 15-16.  Elsewhere 2 on Ivy at the meadows on 4th October 2019 and 4 in Cornwall in early October 2020.

Pink-barred Sallows, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019

Sallow Cirrhia icteritia - Totals of 18 trapped in the garden between 21st September and 15th October 2019 and 21 between 15th September and 16th October 2020 (during which flight period I was away for a few days).  The annual average here is about 22.  Elsewhere 2 on Ivy and blackberries at the meadows and one in Cornwall.

Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019

Sallow, North Elmham, 18th September 2020

Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th September 2020

Dusky-lemon Sallow Cirrhia gilvago - None.  I'm still missing this species here in North Elmham, despite having had 3 to light in my bedroom in Bawdeswell before moving here.


Pale-lemon Sallow Cirrhia gilvago - None.  I've only ever caught one of these, in my garden soon after moving here, in September 2014.


Next page: more Noctuidae

Eyed Hawk, a new froghopper and other bits and pieces

There were no stand-out highlights in the moth trap on 3rd September, though an Eyed Hawk-moth is always nice, especially after things have slowed down in the autumn.  The others were Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Light Emeralds, 12 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spot Rustic, Nutmeg, 3 Common Wainscots, 5 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic and Straw Dot.

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 3rd September

There was also a Hornet and the following caddisflies: Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus auricula and 7 Limnephilus lunatus.

Moth trapping at the meadows the following night produced a reasonable variety for this late in the  season: Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Chinese Characters, Blood-vein, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Sharp-angled Carpet, 3 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, Common Wave, Light Emerald, 4 Flame Shoulders, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 35 Square-spot Rustics, White-point, Brown-spot Pinion, 4 Centre-barred Sallows, Vine's Rustic, Spectacle, Straw Dot and 2 Snouts.

White-point, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Just one mayfly noticed, a Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita.  A good variety of caddisflies though: Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche pellucidula, 2 Small Silver Sedges Lepidostoma hirtum, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 3 Limnephilus auricula, 30 Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus and Limnephilus sparsus.

Leafhoppers included a probable female Macrosteles sexnotatus and a new species for me, Aphrodes makarovi.

Aphrodes makarovi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Beetles included Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes, Pea-leaf Weevil Sitona lineatus and, feeding on Burdock flowers, Curtonotus aulicus.

Curtonotus aulicus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

At home that night Pine Carpet was new for the year.  Other highlights were Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella and Thatch Neb Bryotropha basaltinella. The former was my third this year of a species I hadn't previously recorded here and the latter was my fourth this year of a species that until this year hadn't been recorded anywhere else in Norfolk.

Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th September

Thatch Neb Bryotropha basaltinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th September

By recent standards 32 species in a night was excellent - the rest were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 6 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 4 Blood-veins, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, 5 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, 3 Light Emeralds, 13 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Square-spot Rustics, Nutmeg, Angle Shades, Flounced Rustic, 4 Vine's Rustics, Burnished Brass, Straw Dot and 4 Snouts.

Mayflies and lacewings were 3 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum, Cunctochrysa albolineata and Hemerobius humulinus.

There were very large numbers of caddisflies in the trap, though no unusual species among them: 10 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 3 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 13 Limnephilus auricula, 3 Limnephilus flavicornis, 46 Limnephilus lunatus, 2 Limnephilus marmoratus and 3 Limnephilus sparsus.

Not much else noted - Forest Bug, the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator, 5 Hornets and a Common Frog.

The following night the leafhopper Kybos betulicola appeared in my study

In the moth trap there were two new moths for the garden year-list, Brown-spot Pinion and Lunar Underwing.

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham, 5th September

Lunar Underwing, North Elmham, 5th September

Other moths were Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Garden Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, Engrailed, Light Emerald, Flame Shoulder, 6 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Frosted Orange, Vine's Rustic and 3 Snouts.

Other insects included the mayfly Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, the brown lacewing Hemerobius lutescens, the caddisflies 3 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 4 Limnephilus auricula, 3 Limnephilus flavicornis, 16 Limnephilus lunatus, 3 Limnephilus marmoratus and 2 Limnephilus sparsus, a Harlequin Ladybird and 2 Hornets.

Moth numbers continued to dwindle with the following on 6th: Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Single-dotted Wave, Brimstone Moth, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings and Setaceous Hebrew Character.  There was one mayfly (Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum), one beetle (Bradycellus verbasci) and these caddisflies: Hydropsyche pellucidula, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus flavicornis, 6 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus.

Next day a walk round the meadows produced a few insects including Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Small Copper and Comma.

Small Copper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

A White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella was the only adult moth found but vacated leaf-mines of Scrubland Pigmy Stigmella plagicolella and 2 Apple Leaf-miners Lyonetia clerkella were also seen.

vacated leaf-mine of Scrubland Pigmy Stigmella plagicolella in Blackthorn, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

vacated leaf-mines of Apple Leaf-miners Lyonetia clerkella in Wild Cherry, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Other insects included 2 7-spot Ladybirds, the hoverfly Myathropa florea, a Turnip Sawfly and lots of wasps feeding on ivy.  They included lots of Common Wasps, at least one German Wasp and 2 Hornets, but among them I had brief views of a Colletes bee which was very probably an Ivy Bee.  Ivy Bee was new to science as recently as 1993 and arrived in the UK in 2001, reaching Norfolk by 2014.  It is now common in many places but as hard as I tried to find one at the meadows this autumn this brief sighting was the nearest I got.  Sadly it wasn't quite good enough to be 100% sure - I believe there are one or two other Colletes species that can visit ivy at this time of year and my views were not sufficient to rule out one of them.

Turnip Sawfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Shaking some Field Maple keys produced the barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi, a harvestman and 2 spiders.  The latter were I think immature, or at least I could not see enough detail in their epigyne to be able to match them to any species, but I think they were an Araniella sp. and a Philodromus sp.  My references on harvestmen are sparse but from searching the internet I'm pretty sure this one was Paroligolophus agrestis, a species I hadn't previously identified.

Ectopsocus briggsi (female), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Philodromus sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Paroligolophus agrestis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

At home that night a small selection of moths consisted of Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Blood-vein, Double-striped Pug, Lilac Beauty, Early Thorn, Light Emerald, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Square-spot Rustic and 2 Common Wainscots.  There were 2 Hornets and the only other insects noted were caddisflies: 2 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 10 Limnephilus lunatus and 2 Limnephilus marmoratus.

2 Sallows were new for the year the following night.

Sallow, North Elmham, 8th September

Other moths were 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Chinese Character, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, 2 Garden Carpets, Treble-bar, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Dusky Thorns, Early Thorn, 2 Light Emeralds, Flame, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, Brown-spot Pinion, Lunar Underwing and Snout.

Other insects included 3 mayflies, all Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum, 2 green lacewings, both Cunctochrysa albolineata, 4 Forest Bugs and 2 beeetles, both Aphodius rufipes.  Caddisflies were Hydropsyche siltalai, 5 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis, 15 Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus and Limnephilus sparsus.