Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Many-plumed Moth (Alucitidae) and Plumes (Pterophoridae) (part 1)

MANY-PLUME MOTHS (ALUCITIDAE)


Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla - 7 at home between 21st March and 29th May and then 6 between 30th June and 23rd July 2019 - an average year here.  In 2020 one on 11th April and 10 between 1st July and 17th August.  Also one at the meadows on 26th July 2019.  Although this is the only British member of its family there are some similar species on the Continent that could conceivably turn up here.

Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, North Elmham, 21st March 2019

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PLUME MOTHS (PTEROPHORIDAE)


Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii - None.  This species is prone to occasional influxes to inland locations and 2018 was a good year for such - I had 2 inland records including my first in the garden in 2018.  There were some inland records in 2020 but none here.


Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla - One in the garden moth trap on 28th August 2020.  This was my second here following one in 2017.

Triangle Plume Platyptilia gonodactyla, North Elmham, 28th August 2020

Yarrow Plume Gillmeria pallidactyla - None.  Although I caught this species 3 times in Bawdeswell I've only ever had one here, in 2018.


Tansy Plume Gillmeria ochrodactyla - None.  I've only recorded this species once, at home in 2018 when (surprisingly in view of the number and spread of records in VC27) it was a new moth for the vice county.


Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla - Totals of 12 trapped in the garden between 21st March and 2nd September 2019 and 19 between 19th June and 9th November 2020.  In both years, two thirds of them were in August.  The 2019 showing was a little above average for me and 2020 was a record high.

Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 21st March 2019

Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Brown Plume Stenoptylia pterodactyla - One caught at home on 26th July 2019 and 4 between 13th and 26th July 2020.  I have recorded this species here every year since moving in but numbers vary from 1-6.  Elsewhere, recorded at the meadows on 4 dates (including earlier/later than above on 4th August 2019 and 23rd June 2020) and at Bintree Wood.

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2020

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham, 13th July 2020

Twin-spot Plume Stenoptylia bipunctidactyla - None.  With widespread records around the county this and Crescent Plume are perhaps the most glaring omissions from my list of Plumes.


Dowdy Plume Stenoptylia zophodactylus - None.  I've only ever seen this species at the coast where it does seem to be less unusual, but there are inland records so there's a chance of it cropping up round here.


Crescent Plume Marasmarcha lunaedactyla - None.  The majority of records of this species are relatively recent so perhaps this one is increasingly likely to turn up here.  2021 will do fine please...


Breckland Plume Oxyptilus distans - One at the meadows on 13th June 2020 was the first record for this 10km square.  The species has been increasingly recorded away from its Breckland and NW coast strongholds in recent years, so a record local to here was welcome but not entirely unexpected.

Breckland Plume Oxyptilus distans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th June 2020

Wood-sage Plume Capperia britanniodactylus - None.  This widespread but uncommon species hasn't yet turned up in my moth trap; the only one I've seen was at my previous house in Bawdeswell in 2013.


White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla - 18 in my garden between 23rd June and 25th July, which is farily average, and 15 between 12th June and 17th August 2020.  I find this species often doesn't go right in the trap, found in vegetation around the trap or flying around it when I go out to check it just before dawn.  Also 7 at the meadows (including 2 on the earlier date of 25th May 2020) and one at Weybourne.

White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Thyme Plume Merrifieldia leucodactyla - None.  I've recorded this lovely and scarce species here in North Elmham on one occasion, in 2016.


Dusky Plume Oidaematophorus lithodactyla - One at Whitwell Street on 12th August 2020.  I am yet to record this species here in North Elmham but have previously seen in at my last house in Bawdeswell and at Whitwell Common.

Dusky Plume Oidaematophorus lithodactyla, Whitwell Street, 12th August 2020

Next page: more Pterophoridae plus

The Italians are back

July kicked off with finding an Italian Tubic Metalampra italica (and a Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis) inside the house on 1st.  Then overnight there was a second Metalampra italica in the trap.  I'd had the second and third records for Norfolk in 2014 but although there have been quite a few more records elsewhere in the intervening years these were my first since then.

Italian Tubics Metalampra italica, North Elmham, 1st July

Other moths that were new for the year that night were White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, Orchard, Apple or Spindle Ermine agg. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Yellow-tail, Round-winged Muslin, Brown-line Bright Eye and Rufous Minor.

Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, North Elmham, 1st July

Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, North Elmham, 1st July

Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, North Elmham, 1st July

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham, 1st July

Round-winged Muslin, North Elmham, 1st July

Rufous Minor (female, gen det), North Elmham, 1st July

Other highlights included Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella, Gold-sheen Clothes Moth Nemapogon ruricolella and Rose Tortrix Archips rosana.

Other moths were Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 5 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 3 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 3 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 4 Many-plume Moths Alucita hexadactyla, 22 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 6 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 2 Satin Grass-veneers Crambus perlella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Ghost Moth, Common Emerald, 7 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Dwarf Cream Waves, 7 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 5 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, 3 Barred Straws, Sandy Carpet, 2 Common Pugs, V-Pug, 3 Green Pugs, Double-striped Pug, Early Thorn, 3 Swallow-tailed Moths, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, 3 Engraileds, 3 Clouded Silvers, 2 Buff-tips, 2 Rosy Footmen, Dingy Footman, 28 Common Footmen, 14 Buff Ermines, 4 Heart and Clubs, Flame Shoulder, 2 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Lychnis, 2 Common Wainscots, 4 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, 14 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, 6 Mottled Rustics, Beautiful Hook-tip and 5 Fan-foots.

Sandy Carpet, North Elmham, 1st July

Among the other insects a Common Sun Beetle Amara aenea was the first I've ever identified.

Common Sun Beetle Amara aenea, North Elmham, 1st July

Quite a few other things were new for the year including the green lacewing Cunctochrysa albolineata, the caddisfly Hydropsyche siltalai, the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator and the soldier beetle Rhagonycha fulva.

Cunctochrysa albolineata, North Elmham, 1st July

Other inescts included the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus, the caddisflies Ecnomus tenellus and Leptocerus tineiformis, the soldier beetle Cantharis cryptica, Orange Ladybird and 2 Lagria hirta.