Water Shrew gobbling up the moths

On the evening of Monday 14th August Dave and I headed off to Potter Heigham for some mothing.  Conditions weren't idea with a little more breeze than we would have liked but we thought it was worth a shot. There were certainly a lot of flies attracted to the light - if not quite so many moths.

My second ever Reed Smudge Orthotelia sparganella was one of the highlights but there were a number of interesting moths like Hemp-agrimony Plume Adaina microdactyla, Chevron and 2 Dotted Footmen. Unsurprisingly in the habitat there was a nice variety of Wainscots and the like including 4 Southern Wainscots, Smoky Wainscot, 5 Reed Daggers, 2 Small Wainscots, 3 Bulrush Wainscots, 2 Twin-spotted Wainscots, 4 Webb's Wainscots, 2 Small Rufous and Silky Wainscot.

Hemp-agrimony Plume Adaina microdactyla (male, gen det), Potter Heigham, 14th August

Chevron, Potter Heigham, 14th August

Dotted Footman, Potter Heigham, 14th August

Silky Wainscot, Potter Heigham, 14th August

Other moths were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Bulrush Cosmet Limnaecia phragmitella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 3 Cyclamen Tortrixes Clepsis spectrana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, 5 Wainscot Veneers Chilo phragmitella, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Giant Water-veneers Schoenobius gigantella, 4 Marsh Greys Eudonia pallida, 3 Brown China-marks Elophila nymphaeata, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, 2 Drinkers, Blood-vein, 2 Common Carpets, Lime-speck Pug, Double-striped Pug, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, Poplar Hawk-moth, Sallow Kitten, Pale Prominent, Yellow-tail, Black Arches, 3 Garden Tigers, Ruby Tiger, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 4 Flame Shoulders, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Least Yellow Underwing, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, Six-striped Rustic, Nutmeg, Cabbage Moth, 2 Dog's Tooths, Antler Moth, 2 Dark Arches, 3 Common Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic, 2 Burnished Brasses, 6 Gold Spots and 3 Straw Dots.

Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, Potter Heigham, 14th August

One visitor to the sheet beneath one of the MV lights was a very welcome surprise, even if it was gobbling up moths ten to the dozen.  It was this Water Shrew.  Technically a lifer for me though I've seen 2-3 run across the path in front of me that I've been 99% sure about plus one or two dead animals.  Great to see one up close like this.  It sniffed a few flies but largely ignored them in favour of the larger juicier moths.

Water Shrew, Potter Heigham, 14th August

Another lifer was the only caddisfly I retained for checking - Holocentropus picicornis.  The typical form has yellow mottling like many other caddisflies in the Polycentropidae family so I assume this is the form aurata which has unmarked yellowish-brown wings.

Holocentropus picicornis (male), Potter Heigham, 14th August

A reasonable selection of moths at home that night including a Little Cosmet Mompha raschkiella which I'd only added to my garden list in July. A Rush Marble Bactra lancealana was an interesting form - I think moths looking like this are often put down as robustana but the genitalia seem to confirm this one as lancealana.   Bactra furfurana also has a form quite similar to this - I think this genus is harder to identify than some people give it credit for - and gen detting them isn't always easy either.

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 14th August

Other moths were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, 6 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 3 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 12 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Small Purple and Gold (Mint Moth) Pyrausta aurata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 9 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Orange Swift, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, 3 Common Carpets, 5 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 3 Willow Beauties, Pale Prominent, Dingy Footman, 4 Flame Shoulders, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 6 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Square-spotted Clays, Burnished Brass, 2 Spectacles, 7 Straw Dots and Pinion-streaked Snout.

Small Purple and Gold (aka Mint Moth) Pyrausta aurata, North Elmham, 14th August

Lacewings and caddisflies consisted of Chrysoperla carnea agg., Cunctochrysa albolineata, Ithytrichia lamellaris, Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus lunatus. There was a Forest Bug and the beetle list was Ilybius ater, 4 Bradycellus verbasci, Nicrophorus investigator and Aphodius rufipes.

Monopis obviella

After an excellent night's mothing at Warham Greens I returned home to check my garden moth trap - and it was busy!  Actually 244 moths of 98 species isn't remarkable for the second half of June but it was one of the best nights of the year so far and there were lots new for the year.  The highlight was a belated lifer, Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella.  I've had a few of the similar but rarer Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella before but obviella has eluded me until now.  When I did get a good candidate for one last year it managed to escape before I could confirm it, so nice to get one sorted at last.

Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

New for the house was Meadow Neb Metzneria metzneriella and it was interesting to compare it to a Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella (new for the year) - very similar but the rufousy tones along the costa on metzneriella were distinctive if subtle.

Meadow Neb Metzneria metzneriella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

A Larch-bud Moth Spilonota laricana was only my second and new for the house.

Larch-bud-Moth Spilonota laricana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

An Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella was only my third.

Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Others new for the year here were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Tipped Oak Case-bearer Coleophora flavipennella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, Long-winged Pearl Anania lancealis, Small Blood-vein, Blue-bordered Carpet, Swallow-tailed Moth and one of my favourites, Green Silver-lines.

Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, North Elmham, 16th June

Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, North Elmham, 16th June

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, North Elmham, 16th June

Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, North Elmham, 16th June

Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, North Elmham, 16th June

Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, North Elmham, 16th June

Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, North Elmham, 16th June

Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, North Elmham, 16th June

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 16th June

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 16th June

Green Silver-lines, North Elmham, 16th June

Other moths were presumed Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, 3 Hawthorn Cosmets Blastodacna hellerella, 5 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 6 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, (and another Cnephasia sp.), 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Pine Marbles Piniphila bifasciana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 8 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Buff Arches, 6 Common Emeralds, Blood-vein, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Small Dusty Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 13 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 5 Barred Straws, Green Carpet, 2 Sharp-angled Carpets, Sandy Carpet, Currant Pug, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, 6 Brimstone Moths, 3 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, 2 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, White Ermine, 3 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, 3 Flames, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 7 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Double Square-spots, Common Wainscot, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 6 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, Tawny Marbled Minor (and another Marbled Minor agg.), 10 Middle-barred Minors, 6 Uncertains, 3 Mottled Rustics, Marbled White Spot, Spectacle, 4 Beautiful Hook-tips, 13 Straw Dots, 4 Snouts, 5 Fan-foots and 4 Small Fan-foots.

Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, North Elmham, 16th June

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, North Elmham, 16th June

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham, 16th June

Mayflies included a male Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, subimago when caught but emerging into imago state by the time I came to identify it.

There were four beetles in the trap, three of which were new for the house (no doubt because I'm trying much harder than before): the water beetle Rhantus suturalis, Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus and completely new for me, Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor (the fourth was Cantharis cryptica).

Rhantus suturalis, North Elmham, 16th June

Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus, North Elmham, 16th June

Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor, North Elmham, 16th June

Another Clouded Magpie and a couple of new hoppers

Among the moths trapped on the night of 2nd August were four new species of the year: 2 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis corylana, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and White-spotted Pug.

Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, North Elmham, 2nd August

Rush Veneer Nomophila nocutella, North Elmham, 2nd August

White-spotted Pug, North Elmham, 2nd August

As well as the Rush Veneer, migrants included 13 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella.  26 Mother of Pearls (or should that be Mothers of Pearl?) Pleuroptya ruralis was the highest count of the year. 

There were two more unidentifiable Ermines Yponomeuta sp. (Orchard padella, Apple malinellus or Spindle cagnagella) - frustrating not to be able to name these but they can't even be done by checking their genitalia.

Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Another species I don't see here very often was Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella.

Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, North Elmham, 2nd August

A reasonable selection of other micros too: Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, 4 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 3 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 3 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 3 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, 2 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, 38 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 4 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 4 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 2 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella and Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella.

Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Another Clouded Magpie was the best macro.

Clouded Magpie, North Elmham, 2nd August

Unusually all the Common Rustic aggs. that were dissected proved to be Lesser Common Rustics (3 - a fourth got away without being determined).

Lesser Common Rustic (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd August

Other macros were 4 Pebble Hook-tips, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, 4 Riband Waves, 4 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 4 Shaded Broad-bars, 3 Common Carpets, 2 Small Rivulets, Tawny Speckled Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, 2 Magpie Moths, Scalloped Oak, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Clouded Silver, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Yellow-tail, 2 Rosy Footmen, 4 Dingy Footmen, 7 Scarce Footmen, 3 Buff Footmen, 12 Common Footmen, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Double Square-spot, 3 Nutmegs, 3 Clays, Grey Dagger, 3 Dun-bars, 7 Dark Arches, Dusky Sallow, 11 Uncertains, Rustic, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Spectacle, 7 Straw Dots and 2 Fan-foots.

Among the Green Lacewings, Dichochrysa ventralis was new for the house (though I'd seen one next door when I trapped there recently).  Also Dichochrysa flavifrons and Chrysoperla carnea agg.

Dichochrysa ventralis, North Elmham, 2nd August

I'm not doing the caddisflies while I'm so far behind with the moths but a Glyphotaelius pellucidus was readily identified in the field.  Among the bugs there were 3 Forest Bugs (aka Red-legged Shieldbugs) and my first Phytocoris varipes of the year.

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 2nd August

Also a couple of new hoppers that I'd not identified before (I thought I had seen the first one before but don't have any records) - Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius and the leafhopper Eupteryx florida.

Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius, North Elmham, 2nd August

Eupteryx florida, North Elmham, 2nd August

I haven't yet managed to work out what this Ichneumon was:

unidentified Ichneumon wasp, North Elmham, 2nd August

Marbled Coronet

During the afternoon of 8th June I added Common Nettle-tap Anthophilus fabiricana to the garden year list. A good selection of moths in the trap that night inlcuding 47 species.  Best was a Marbled Coronet, a species mainly recorded at the coast in Norfolk, though there are a good spread of odd records elsewhere.  Still very unexpected here.

Marbled Coronet, North Elmham, 8th June

Also new for the house (it's only my second summer) were Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella and Large Nutmeg.

Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, North Elmham, 8th June

Large Nutmeg, North Elmham, 8th June

New for the year at home were Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana, Purple Bar, Common Wainscot, Straw Dot and Snout.

Hedge Shades Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 8th June

Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae (female, gen det), North Elmham, 8th June

Snout, North Elmham, 8th June

Common Wainscot, North Elmham, 8th June

Other moths were 52 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 3 Common Swifts, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Garden Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 6 Green Carpets, 4 Sandy Carpets, Foxglove Pug, Mottled Pug, 4 Common Pugs, 2 Grey Pugs, Clouded Silver, 4 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, Muslin Moth, 6 Cinnabars, 2 Heart and Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shears, Light Brocade, Lychnis, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Brown Rustic, Clouded-bordered Brindle, 2 Marbled Minors, 3 Tawny Marbled Minors, Middle-barred Minor, 8 Treble Lines, Vine's Rustic and Mottled Rustic.

Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, North Elmham, 8th June

Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, North Elmham, 8th June

Sandy Carpet, North Elmham, 8th June

Vine's Rustic, North Elmham, 8th June

Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th June

Tawny Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th June

Caddisflies were represented by 4 species from the same genus.  Limnephilus flavicornis was the first I've identified and Limnephilus binotatus was my first this year (and first properly identified with a key).  The others were 3 Limnephilus auricula and 2 Limnephilus lunatus.

Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 8th June

Limnephilus binotatus, North Elmham, 8th June

This Earwig was really small and I thought it must be something other than the Common Earwig which so far every Earwig I've identified has been.  Turns out, I think, that it's a juvenile Common Earwig.

 apparent juvenile Common Earwig, North Elmham, 8th June