Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Geometers (Geometridae) - part 3: Carpets II (Epirrhoe to Hydriomena)

GEOMETERS (GEOMETRIDAE) (continued)


Small Argent & Sable Epirrhoe tristata - On Mull, one west of Carsaig on 10th June 2019 and 2 along the road to Glengorm on 12th June.  This was the first time I've seen this non-Norfolk species in the UK.

Small Argent & Sable, west of Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019

Small Argent & Sable, Glengorm Road (Mull), 12th June 2019

Common Carpet Epirrhoe alternata - At least 40 caught in the garden between 25th May and 12th September 2019.  Not counted on 6 nights but with 1s and 2s around this time I doubt if the true figure was much higher than 40-50, so probably below average (about 60).  In 2020 67 between 21st May and 24th August, my second best total here in 6 years.  Elsewhere recorded next door, at the meadows (27 across 15 dates), and at Bintree Wood, Whitwell Street, Hills and Holes and Weybourne.

Common Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019

Wood Carpet Epirrhoe rivata - One caught at home on 7th July 2019.  Until 2018 I was pretty skeptical about Wood Carpet records having noted a number of big pale-banded moths that I had taken to be extreme Common Carpets.  However in 2018 we found such a strong candidate for Wood Carpet at Derby Fen that I was forced to start taking them more seriously.  That individual was identified as Wood Carpet by a combination of features:

1. It was very big – forewing length of about 15.5 mm so outside the given range for Common Carpet and towards the upper end of the range even for Wood Carpet;
2. The white outer band on the forewing was broad, very white and with only very faint trace of a grey line dividing it through the centre (3-4 slightly more prominent grey dots near the leading edge but still faint);
3. The white outer band on the hindwing was similarly broad and white and lacked any grey dividing line;
4. Also the rear border of the white outer band on the forewing was very smooth (I’ve never seen this cited as a feature but it seems to be pretty consistent in most convincing photos of Wood Carpet online – Common Carpet nearly always having a more scalloped rear border to the white outer band on the forewing, at least when fresh).

That individual was a male, but although there are no known differences in male genitalia between the two species the consensus of opinion among all consulted was that this was indeed a Wood Carpet.  Two days later I caught another good candidate at home.  This was a female and although it is not clear that genitalia differences in females are consistent, there is a substantial difference between online images of female Wood Carpet genitalia and all the images I can find of female Common Carpet - and mine resembled the Wood Carpet's genitalia.  I caught one more apparent male at home a little while later and while not all of these 3 showed every character of Wood Carpet in perfection, I'm pretty much satisfied that that's what they all were.  If I'm right then I'm pretty sure that I've overlooked these in the past - the big pale-banded "Common" Carpets probably were Wood Carpets after all.  However, all this assumes that there are actually two clearly distinct different species, and I gather that isn't universally accepted.  Anyway, 2019's was another male, slightly worn and thus not as perfect as the Derby Fen individual but seems to me that it probably sits within the bounds of whatever Wood Carpets actually are.  None in 2020.

apparent Wood Carpet, North Elmham, 7th July 2019

Galium Carpet Epirrhoe rivata - None.  I'm yet to catch this species but there are a scattering of records in mid Norfolk so maybe I'll catch one some time.


Sharp-angled Carpet Euphyia unangulata - Only one trapped in the garden in 2019, on 23rd June.  I had been averaging over 5 a year and caught 3 in my previous worst year (2018).  2020 was better with 6 between 22nd June and 19th August.  Elsewhere 5 caught at the meadows, 5 at Bintree Wood and one at Hills and Holes.

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Sharp-angled Carpet, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham, 22nd June 2020

Shoulder Stripe Earophila badiata - Totals of 5 trapped in the garden between 21st March and 24th April 2019 and 6 between 19th March and 11th April 2020.  5 is my worst annual total here - I've averaged 9 a year.  Elsewhere just 2 at the meadows on 20th March 2019.

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th March 2019

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 24th April 2019

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 9th April 2020

Streamer Anticlea derivata - Just 3 caught in the garden between 24th April and 19th May 2019 and 16 between 8th April and 9th May 2020.  These were my worst and second-best showings - apart from 23 in 2016 I've caugt 4-5 in the other years.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 22nd April 2019.

Streamer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Streamer, North Elmham, 24th April 2019

Beautiful Carpet Mesoleuca albicillata - None.  I have only ever caught one of these, at my last place in Bawdeswell in 2010.  It was quite early in my mothing career and I don't think I realised quite how good it was at the time.  I look forward to the next one, hopefully here in North Elmham.


Dark Spinach Pelurga comitata - Singles caught in my garden on 8th August 2019 and 29th July 2020, then one at the meadows on 7th August 2020.  I'd only ever seen 3 before, all here (one in 2016 and 2 in 2018).

Dark Spinach, North Elmham, 8th August 2019

Dark Spinach, North Elmham, 29th July 2020

Dark Spinach, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Mallow Larentia clavaria - Totals of 6 trapped in my garden between 23rd September and 10th October 2019 and 11 between 21st September and 19th October 2020.  These were below par and 2019 was my lowest total so far.

Mallow, North Elmham, 21st September 2020

July Highflyer Hydriomena furcata - 5 caught in my garden between 6th July and 7th August 2019 was below average but 2 in 2020 (29th June and 11th July) was my worst year here so far.  I average 7 a year here but often catch a lot more at other sites - only 3 elsewhere in 2019/20 though, with singles at the meadows, Bintree Wood and Weybourne.

July Highflyer, North Elmham, 5th August 2019

July Highflyer, North Elmham, 29th June 2020

May Highflyer Hydriomena impluviata - One here on 25th May 2019 and 3 between 17th and 21st May 2020.  This species isn't quite annual here though I usually catch 2-3.  Also one at Sculthorpe Moor on 26th April 2019 and 2 at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020.

May Highflyer, North Elmham, 25th May 2019

May Highflyer, North Elmham, 17th May 2020

Next page: more Geometridae

Shoulder Stripe

There were 2 March Moths and 2 Dotted Borders on Thursday night and then on Friday this lovely Shoulder Stripe added itself to the garden year list.

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 3rd March

Also Pale Brindled Beauty and 2 Dotted Borders.  Last night produced single March Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty and Dotted Border.

Possible Polecat

Thursday night produced Shoulder Stripe, Early Thorn, 3 Small Quakers, 2 Common Quakers, 6 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.  A paltry total but better than the next few nights.  There was also a Red Chestnut, but the same distinctively worn individual that I'd trapped on Monday and Tuesday nights (and I trapped it again on Sunday night).

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 14th April

Non-avian highlight on Friday was a Chinese Water Deer at Choseley in my lunch break.  The moth trap was dire with just Common Quaker and 2 Hebrew Characters.

Birding the patch on Saturday produced little non-avian animal/invert interest so I resorted to photographing some fungi in the hope that I might be able to identify some of it, not that I often succeed in that.  For some reason I thought this bracket fungus was going to be more interesting than Turkeytail, but in the end I think it might just be that.  (Update: thanks again to James for commenting - apparently I need to see the underside, but could be Turkeytail or Yellowing Curtain Crust).

possible Turkeytail, Bittering, 16th April

This one hanging off a Birch didn't look like anything I remembered seeing before.  I think it's Yellow Brain, though there is at least one other similar species.  (Update: James agrees - either this or Tremella aurantia - need to see what it's feeding on as they have different host fungi, but on this example that might be tricky - the branch overhangs water so I can't get any nearer or a different angle).

probable Yellow Brain, Bittering, 16th April

Not sure about the next, probably one of the Waxcaps?  (Update: James says no, which I'm quite relieved about in a way as I've identified Waxcaps before and didn't think this was like them.  Looking at the books later I thought some of the Waxcaps looked similar while the other similar-lloking fungi weren't grassland species.  Anyway James is the man and he suggests Galerina sp.  Yep, I can see that now.)

possible Waxcap sp., Bittering, 16th April

I think the next one is Jelly Ear.  It was on a fallen branch at the base of a Copper Beech tree.  (Update: yes... James says I'm right.  Hoorah!)

Jelly Ear, Bittering, 16th April

There were no moths at all on Saturday night despite the trap being out all night.  Sunday wasn't much better with 2 Hebrew Characters.  Earlier on Sunday evening I had a look round Lolly Moor in the hope that some moths might be flying in the evening sunshine.  They weren't.  Some more fungi though including this Bracket fungus that I can't put a name to.  Doesn't help that I can't remember what tree it was on.  (Update: thanks again to James who says Blushing Bracket... and that the tree was therefore probably Willow).

Blushing Bracket, Lolly Moor, 17th April

On Sunday morning I noticed a dead animal on the B1145 just east of Billingford.  It seemed to resemble a Polecat, though it might have been a lookalike Ferret.  Polecats are very difficult to separate from some Ferrets (which are basically domesticated Polecats I think).  I returned later in the day in the hope of taking photos but there was no sign of it any more.

Alderford Common

A relatively warm Friday evening with cloud cover promised for most of the first part of the evening, so a good night to head out somewhere with a light.  Dave is keen to see Small Eggar and we failed to find recently where I'd seen one before at Creaking Gate Lake so he was keen to try his luck at Alderford Common this time, another site the species is known from and where there is plenty of suitable habitat.

We were disapppointed to find that the temperature had plummeted between leaving home and arriving on site - a heavy rain shower had recently passed through and I think it must have cooled things down a bit.  We set up anyway and things got off to a very slow start indeed.  After a while 1-2 moths had flown past the light but nothing had come in and I was starting to wonder if we should cut our losses and head home.  But we stuck it out and suddenly for no apparent reason it got livelier.  In the end it proved a worthwhile trip, although no Small Eggars for Dave.

The best of the macros was a Red Chestnut, followed by Water Carpet.

Red Chestnut, Alderford Common, 8th April

Also 2 March Moths, 3 Shoulder Stripes, 5 Brindled Pugs, Engrailed, 3 Small Quakers, 12 Common Quakers, 9 Clouded Drabs, 5 Twin-spotted Quakers, 2 Hebrew Characters and 2 Early Greys.  Counts are minimums - probably the numbers of the more numerous species were really quite a bit higher.

Shoulder Stripe, Alderford Common, 8th April

Clouded Drab, Alderford Common, 8th April

But as is so often the way it was the micros that provided the most excitement, despite there only being 3 species.  They included Dave's first and my second ever Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana.

Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana, Alderford Common, 8th April

Two Caloptilia looked like good candidates for elongella but on dissection provided to be Red Birch Slenders Caloptilia betulicola - a scarcer species and new to both of us.

Red Birch Slender Caloptilia betulicola (male, gen det), Alderford Common, 8th April

Red Birch Slender Caloptilia betulicola (female, gen det), Alderford Common, 8th April

The other micros were at least 4 March Tubics Diurnea fagella.

A few moths at home too: March Tubic Diurnea fagella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 March Moths, Shoulder Stripe, Oak Beauty, Small Quaker, Common Quaker and 4 Hebrew Characters.

Oak Beauty, North Elmham, 8th April

Moths picking up

The last 3 nights have seen some improvement on the mothing front, with 6 species new for the year.  Not vast numbers of moths involved, but more than in any other 3-day period this year so far.

Sunday night bagged my first March Tubic Diurnea fagella of the year.

March Tubic Diurnea fagella, North Elmham, 13th March

Also new for the year was an Early Grey.  The supporting cast comprised 2 March Moths, a nicely-marked Dotted Border, 2 Common Quakers and 5 Hebrew Characters.

Dotted Border, North Elmham, 13th March

There were another 2 additions to the year-list on Monday night - the always lovely Shoulder Stripe and a Small Quaker.

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 14th March

Small Quaker, North Elmham, 14th March

Bringing up the rear were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 2 March Moths, 2 Common Quakers, 5 Hebrew Characters and Chestnut.

Last night's 2 new for the year were Brindled Pug and Twin-spotted Quaker.

Brindled Pug, North Elmham, 15th March

Twin-spotted Quaker, North Elmham, 15th March

Others in last night's parade were 3 March Moths, another lovely Oak Beauty, Dotted Border, Small Quaker, 4 Hebrew Characters and Chestnut.

Red Chestnut: first field session of the year

The moth trap still isn't delivering despite the warm weather.  Sure temperatures are dipping at night but it's still as mild just after dusk as it has been all year and a far wider variety of moths should be on the wing by now (as evidenced by the impressive tallies some other recorders are notching up at the moment).  Thursday night's total of 23 moths felt busier but they consisted of just 7 species, all macros and all very common.  This Shoulder Stripe was best.

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 9th April

The others were 9 Small Quakers, 2 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 4 Hebrew Characters, 3 Early Greys and 2 Chestnuts. 

I'm trying placing the trap on a white sheet over the lawn rather than directly on the lawn.  Not sure if it will make much difference but will at least be easier to see any moths round the trap.  As I put it out this afternoon there were two critters on it straight away - a tiny black Rove Beetle that as yet I've not been able to name and a new bug for me: Peritrechus geniculatus*. 

*Update 2025 - I don't know what references I used to identify this bug but I'm pretty sure it's not Peritrechus geniculatus.  Maybe Drymus sylvaticus?

Rove Beetle sp., North Elmham, 9th April

Lygaeid originally misidentified as Peritrechus geniculatus, North Elmham, 9th April

I then headed off to the patch where dusking and tree-trunking failed to produce any moths at all.  Dave and I set up the MV at Creaking Gate Lake for our first proper field session of the year.  Things started slowly - very slowly in fact.  I'm sure I've seen groundhoppers before and overlooked them as baby grasshoppers or just ignored them, but Thursday's Slender Groundhopper was the first time I'd identified one.  First thing to the sheet this evening was the other species - Common Groundhopper.  

Common Groundhopper, Creaking Gate Lake, 10th April

 
Next up were some tiny beetles.  Quite a few all looking similar except some were tiny and the rest were so small they made the tiny ones look big.  Males and females perhaps, or different species - not sure.  Nearest I can get is Anaspis maculata but not sure the spots that give that species its name were clearly visible enough.

Beetles, Creaking Gate Lake, 10th April - what species?

Eventually some moths did appear.  All macros and not much variety - mostly species that are abundant at this time of year.  Engrailed and 2 Brindled Pugs were new for the year for me and by far the best was a nice Red Chestnut.

Red Chestnut, Creaking Gate Lake, 10th April

Others were 16 Small Quakers, 18 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 6 Hebrew Characters, 7 Chestnuts and 2 Nut-tree Tussocks.

These amorous toads spent most of the night wandering round seeing what was going on.  Not sure if they were very impressed.

 Common Toads, Creaking Gate Lake, 10th April

The 7 Chestnuts was the most I've ever seen together - my previous best being 4, also at Creaking Gate Lake, last year.  I've now seen 51 at North Elmham, but never more than 3 in a night - it was a similar story at Bawdeswell where despite being common I never had more than 2 together.

Back at home this Shoulder Stripe was in the same place as yesterday's but from the markings clearly a different individual.

Shoulder Stripe, North Elmham, 10th April

 
There was a Brindled Pug here too.

Brindled Pug, North Elmham, 10th April

The rest of last night's moths were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 3 Small Quakers, 5 Common Quakers, 5 Clouded Drabs, 9 Hebrew Characters and 2 Early Greys.

Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, North Elmham, 10th April

This Common Green Shieldbug was the only other thing of note.

Common Green Shieldbug, North Elmham, 10th April