Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Pigmies (Nepticulidae) (Stigmella part 2)

PIGMIES (NEPTICULIDAE) (continued)


Red Elm Pigmy Stigmella lemniscella - None.  I've not found this species yet but it's common and widespread enough so hopefully I'll find it sooner or later.


Golden Pigmy Stigmella aurella - A male just above some Brambles (but beaten from an Oak tree) at the meadows 11th September 2019.  Also some mines at the meadows belonging to this species in both years, and in the Lakes in 2019.

leaf-mine of Golden Pigmy Stigmella aurella, Great Wood, Borrowdale (Cumbria), 5th April 2019

male Golden Pigmy Stigmella aurella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th September 2019

Glossy Bramble Pigmy Stigmella splendidissimella - None.  Common and widespread enough to mean I should have a fair chance of finding it locally.


Grey Apple Pigmy Stigmella incognitella - None, but previously recorded in my garden (in 2017).


Least Thorn Pigmy Stigmella perpygmaeella - Single males netted at the meadows on 27th April, 3rd May and 9th May 2020, my first examples of this species.

male Least Thorn Pigmy Stigmella perpygmaeella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th April 2020

male Least Thorn Pigmy Stigmella perpygmaeella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd May 2020

Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella - Singles in my garden moth trap on 4th August 2019 and 30th August 2020.  Also a probable on 7th August 2020, keyed to this species but I damaged the genitalia during the preparation so wasn't able to confirm it.  I had 3 here in 2018.

female Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella, North Elmham, 4th August 2019

male Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella, North Elmham, 30th August 2020

Barred Sycamore Pigmy Stigmella speciosa - None.  I've not found this species locally yet but it's common enough and there's Sycamore at the meadows so it should be plausible.


Base-spotted Pigmy Stigmella basiguttella - A male caught in my garden trap on 25th July and a female to light at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.  These are the first I have identified.  Also an occupied leaf mine at the meadows on 20th September.   None in 2020.

male Base-spotted Pigmy Stigmella basiguttella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

female Base-spotted Pigmy Stigmella basiguttella, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

leaf-mine and larva of Base-spotted Pigmy Stigmella basiguttella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th September 2019

Red-headed Pigmy Stigmella ruficapitella - a male caught in my garden trap on 24th June 2019.  The minimal extent of blackish androconial hair-scales on hindwing helped to secure the ID of this one, a new moth for me.  Also mines at the meadows in September 2019 and November 2020.

male Red-headed Pigmy Stigmella ruficapitella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

leaf-mine of Red-headed Pigmy Stigmella ruficapitella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

Black-headed Pigmy Stigmella atricapitella - A male caught in my garden on 26th July 2020 was new for the garden but followed by 2 more on 7th August.  Although these were gen detted, the blackish androconial hair-scales on the hindwing also help to secure the ID.

Black-headed Pigmy Stigmella atricapitella, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

Chestnut Pigmy Stigmella samiatella - A male caught in my garden on 25th May 2019.  I had caught 5 of these here in 2018 and 2020 saw a return to this form with 5 between 20th May and 20th August.

male Chestnut Pigmy Stigmella samiatella, North Elmham, 25th May 2019

male Chestnut Pigmy Stigmella samiatella, North Elmham, 21st May 2020

male Chestnut Pigmy Stigmella samiatella, North Elmham, 10th June 2020

female Chestnut Pigmy Stigmella samiatella, North Elmham, 20th August 2020

Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella- Singles caught in my garden on 1st June 2019 and 10th August 2020 (plus an unconfirmed probable in July).  I had 2 here in 2018.  Also one at the meadows on 17th May 2020.

female Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

female Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

male Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella, North Elmham, 10th August 2020

Next page: more Pigmies (Nepticulidae)

Another new Stigmella

An Anthrenus fuscus in the house was new for the year on Monday 21st.  These mascarade as Varied Carpet Beetles Anthenus verbasci but there are quite a few differences when you look closely (such as the blacker scales and the very different structure of the antennae).

Anthrenus fuscus, North Elmham, 21st May

The highlight from the moth trap that night was a Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella.  Although common, like most Stigmella speices they are mostly recorded as leafmines and adults are rarely reported.  This was my first, keyed out accurately using the excellent Kleine Vlinders key and confirmed with gen det.

Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st May

Also new for the year were Fen Flat-body Depressaria ultimella, Scorched Carpet and 2 Treble Lines, plus the caddisfly Cyrnus trimaculatus.  Other moths were Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Grey Pine Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, Waved Umber, Coxcomb Prominent, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, 2 White Ermines, Heart and Dart and 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts.

Fen Flat-body Depressaria ultimella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st May

Scorched Carpet, North Elmham, 21st May

Treble Lines, North Elmham, 21st May

Cyrnus trimaculatus (female), North Elmham, 21st May

The following evening looked a bit better for moths so I headed down to the meadows and set up two lights.  No sooner had I got the second one on and the generator packed up as it had run out of oil. I didn't have any spare oil so that was the end of that.  In the short time the first light had been on it had caught a Common Swift, new for the site, and I also added Common Toad to the site's amphibian list. 

Common Swift, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May

It was a reasonably good night at home with 4 new moths for the garden year-list: Privet Hawk-moth, Lychnis, White-point and Common Wainscot. Also Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Common Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Brimstone Moth, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, Muslin Moth, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Early Grey, 2 Treble Lines and the caddisfly Limnephilus auricula.

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 22nd May

Lychnis, North Elmham, 22nd May

White-point, North Elmham, 22nd May

Common Wainscot, North Elmham, 22nd May

There wasn't a vast number of moths in the trap the following night but Turnip Moth and Shears were new for the year, and a Flame Carpet was a much finer specimen than the one last week.

Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 23rd May

Shears, North Elmham, 23rd May

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd May

Also that night were White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella (indoors), Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 3 Brimstone Moths, 2 White Ermines, 2 Treble Lines and Spectacle.