Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Grass moths (Crambidae) - Part 3: Greys (Scoparia to Eudonia)

GRASS MOTHS (CRAMBIDAE) (continued)


Large Grey Scoparia subfusca - Caught in the garden on 30th July 2019 and 24th June 2020.  I'd only caught 2 here before in the previous 4 years.  Also one to light at the meadows on 30th June 2019.

Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, North Elmham, 24th June 2020

Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis - 12-13 caught at home (1 escaped before I confirmed it) between 4th and 25th July 2019 and 9 between 24th June and 4th August 2020.  2019 was my best year to date - it averages 7 per year.  Also 2 at Bintree Wood and one at Weybourne.  Although this species no longer requires dissection for records to be accepted (it's grade 2) I don't think the ID is always that straightforward.  Some are clear enough but a great deal of care is required - confusion with ambigualis is easy, especially with small or worn individuals (or large coarsely-marked ambigualis), and some even approach pyralella in appearance.  I still tend to check the genitalia on any but the most obvious examples and they aren't always what I'm expecting them to be.

female Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, North Elmham, 4th July 2019

female Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, North Elmham, 7th July 2019

female Base-lined Greys Scoparia basistrigalis, North Elmham, 9th July 2019

female Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

male Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, North Elmham, 24th June 2020

female Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, North Elmham, 22nd July 2020

Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis - Totals at home of 68 between 16th May and 25th July 2019 and 50 between 20th May and 23rd July 2020.  They were my worst year for this species so far - I had been averaging around 110 a year.  Elsewhere 24 at the meadows, 11 at Bintree Wood, 3 at Hills and Holes and 3 at Weybourne.  I generally identify these without checking their genitalia, but any that are too worn, or any that look a bit suggestive of one of the other species in some way, are confirmed.

male Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 18th May 2019

male Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 22nd June 2019

female Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 28th June 2019

female Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 2nd July 2019

female Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 7th July 2019

female Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 11th July 2019

Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 17th May 2020

male Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 17th June 2020

male Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 27th June 2020

Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella - 5 in the garden between 7th June and 4th July 2019 and singles on 4th and 17th June 2020.  The latter was my worst year here - there had been little variation 6, 5, 5, 4 and 5 in the previous 5 years.  Elsewhere one at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020.

Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, North Elmham, 7th June 2019

Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, North Elmham, 4th June 2020

male Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata - At least 185 between 15th June and 3rd August 2019 but probably more as not counted on several nights - a better year at least than the previous 3 at least.  A reasonable year in 2020 too with 114 between 11th June and 19th August.  Elsewhere 1-2 at the meadows on 7 dates, 7 at Bintree Wood, 6 at Weybourne and 4 at Hellesdon.  This species is very variable and I find some individuals quite difficult to separate from mercurella, and tend to check a selection to make sure I'm recording them accurately (especially the darker ones which I find easiest to get mixed up).

male Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham, 27th June 2019

male Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham, 28th June 2019

Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

female Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham, 7th July 2019

female Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham, 9th July 2019

Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

male Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham, 28th June 2020

female Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham, 5th July 2020

female Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham, 22nd July 2020

female Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham, 5th August 2020

Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea - One at home on 5th May 2019 was my only record from the spring generation that year, a surprise after having 21 in spring/early summer 2018.  In the more 'traditional' autumn generation numbers were more typical with a total of 177 between 22nd August and 31st October, a little under average (191).  In 2020 there were 4 between 3rd and 16th June and 145 between 11th August and 9th November.  None elsewhere in Norfolk - surely one of the most obvious gaps in the list of species recorded at the meadows - but 4 in Cornwall in October 2020 and 3 in NW Spain in February 2020.

Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, between Sant Vicenc and Torrelles de Llobregat (Catalonia, Spain), 7th August 2020

Ground-moss Grey Eudonia truncicolella - 2 at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019.   None in 2020.  Although common on heathlands this species can be hard to find elsewhere.  I've not had a confirmed record here yet although a strong contender was caught here in 2017 (I couldn't quite 100% rule out mercurella from its worn external appearance and their male genitalia are rather similar.  I may yet be able to resolve this if I ever remember to check whether male mercurella has a hamus or not - if it does then this was truncicolella).


Small Grey Eudonia mercurella - Trapped at home between 27th June and 14th August 2019 with at least 52 individuals (not counted every day).  That's pretty comparable with the previous 3 years (although I recorded more in 2015 I have a suspicion that the odd incorrectly identified moth may have slipped in back then).  66 here between 15th June and 18th August 2020.  Elsewhere found next door, at the meadows and at Row Heath (West Runton).  Some of these look very much like lacustrata to my eyes and since realising I may have been mis-assigning some I have increased the proportion that I check genitalia.

female Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, North Elmham, 27th June 2019

female Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, North Elmham, 28th June 2019

male Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, North Elmham, 1st July 2019

female Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, North Elmham, 21st July 2019

male Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

male Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, North Elmham, 4th August 2019

female Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, North Elmham, 15th June 2020

Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida  - Totals of 12 caught at home between 4th June and 19th July 2019 (including a record 4 on 24th June) and 7 between 21st June and 28th August 2020.  They're my highest and equal lowest totals in 6 years.  Elsewhere recorded at the meadows on 4 dates between 31st May and 3rd September 2019 and at Weybourne and Whitwell Street.

Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Next page: more Crambidae

Gold-sheen Clothes Moths and another insectella

My first Gold-sheen Clothes Moth Nemapogon ruricolella for the garden came to a pheronomore lure for Yellow-legged Clothes Moth last year.  My second came to the same pheromone lure this year, on 25th June.  Probably it was no coincidence that my third came to my Robinson trap overnight that very same night.  I can only guess that it was attracted to the garden by the pheromone lure, didn't go in the trap so was still in the garden when the light trap switched on and got caught by that instead.  This is still a rarely-recorded species in Norfolk with just 6 post-Victorian records prior to these but half of those were mine (all from different locations) and I can't help thinking that this species is being overlooked because they don't come to light traps very often.

Gold-sheen Clothes Moths Nemapogon ruricolella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 25th June

Four new moths for the year in the trap that night were Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Rosy Footman and Short-cloaked Moth.  The clothes moth seems to be on the increase in Norfolk - I had the first post-Victorian record at Warham Greens in 2014 followed by two more here at home in 2015.  There were three more records elsewhere in the county in 2016-17, but this is still a good record for the time being.

Drab Clothes Moths Haplotinea insectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 25th June

Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 25th June

Short-cloaked Moth, North Elmham, 25th June

Other moths were 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Small Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Barred Straws, Willow Beauty, 2 Privet Hawk-moths, Common Footman, 10 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Clubs, 6 Heart and Darts, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Double Square-spot, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Smoky Wainscot, 2 Common Wainscots, 3 Brown Rustics, Treble Lines, 6 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, 2 Straw Dots and Snout. Also the caddisfly Hydropsyche pellucidula and a Common Frog.

Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, North Elmham, 25th June

The following night saw another wave of new moths for the year, viz. 3 Plain Conches Phtheochroa inopiana, Rose Tortrix Archips rosana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Buff Arches, Yellow Shell, Haworth's Pug, 2 Wormwood Pugs, Scarce Footman and Rustic.

Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 26th June

Rose Tortrix Archips rosana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, North Elmham, 26th June

Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, North Elmham, 26th June

Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, North Elmham, 26th June

Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, North Elmham, 26th June

Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, North Elmham, 26th June

Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

Beautiful Plume Ambvlyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 26th June

Buff Arches, North Elmham, 26th June

Yellow Shell, North Elmham, 26th June

Haworth's Pug, North Elmham, 26th June

Rustic, North Elmham, 26th June

With the others the species total hit 94, not bad but some way to go to the peak counts possible at this time of year.  The others were 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Buff Mompha Mompha ochraceella, 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, 4 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 21 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 8 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 Ghost Moths, 6 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 21 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, 8 Barred Straws, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Barred Yellows, 3 Sandy Carpets, Common Pug, 3 Grey Pugs, V-Pug, 6 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Small Yellow Waves, 3 Clouded Borders, 4 Brimstone Moths, Willow Beauty, 4 Mottled Beauties, 4 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Eyed Hawk-moth, Rosy Footman, 5 Common Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 2 Short-cloaked Moths, Turnip Moth, Heart and Club, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 2 Flame Shoulders, Ingrailed Clay, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 4 Smoky Wainscots, 4 Common Wainscots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Brown Rustic, 2 Dark Arches, Tawny Marbled Minor, 4 Uncertains, 3 Mottled Rustics, Burnished Brass, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Straw Dots, 6 Snouts and 6 Fan-foots.

Other insects included the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg., the caddisfly Limnephilus sparsus and an Orange Ladybird.