Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Erebids (Erebidae) part 1: Herald, Straw Dot, Snouts and Tussocks and allies

EREBIDS (EREBIDAE)


Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix - Singles in the garden on 23rd and 24th April and 2nd May 2019 and on 5th April 2020.  I've had between 1-4 every year I've trapped here.  I've not caught this species anywhere else since living here.

Herald, North Elmham, 23rd April 2019

Herald, North Elmham, 5th April 2020

Straw Dot Rivula sericealis - At least 106 caught in the garden between 30th May and 25th September 2019 but no counts on 9 dates so the true total may have been higher (but possibly not a lot as a lot of counts of one around this period).  Almost certainly my worst year here, 2020 being the next worst year with 166 between 26th May and 30th September.  Over the previous 4 years I averaged nearly 460 a year.  Elsewhere caught next door on 3 nights, 20 seen at the meadows on 13 dates and 3-4 at Bintree Wood, Whitwell Street and Swanton Great Wood and singles at Hills and Holes and in Cornwall.

Straw Dot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Snout Hypena proboscidalis - Totals of 105 caught in the garden between 23rd June and 20th October 2019 and 91 between 3rd June and 27th September 2020.  I catch more than double those totals in an average year - these were my worst totals so far.  Elsewhere a total of 29 over 17 dates at the meadows, 6 in Hellesdon, 9 in Cornwall and 1-2 at Bintree Wood, Whitwell Street, Swanton Great Wood, Weybourne and Row Heath (West Runton).

Snout, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Snout, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Snout, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Buttoned Snout Hypena rostralis - One in the garden moth trap on 18th May 2020.  I've had 2 here before, in 2015 and 2017 (and 4 at my old house in Bawdeswell between 2010 and 2014).

Buttoned Snout, North Elmham, 18th May 2020

White Satin Leucoma salicis - None at home in either year or in any year since 2016, though 2 here in each of 2015 and 2016 and one next door in 2017.  One at the meadows on 18th July 2020 was my only record in 2019-20, my second here.

White Satin, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Black Arches Lymantria monacha - 4 caught in the garden between 22nd and 27th July 2019 and 6 between 18th and 26th July 2020.  I've never gone lower than 4 and the previous 2 years' totals weren't much higher but before that 22 in 2016.  Elsewhere one next door, 2 at the meadows, 3 at Bintree Wood, 5 at Swanton Great Wood and 2 at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August.

Black Arches, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Black Arches, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Black Arches, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2019

Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar - I've never caught this species myself but I did get to see one that someone else caught in 2019.  I don't normally twitch moths that other people catch but I took a call from Chris Mills who said that a friend who was staying in his house (while he was overseas)and  had caught what appeared to be this species.  His friend wanted someone else to go along and see it in order to confirm the ID as as I was at Winterton I was happy to pop in on my way home and take a look.  After becoming extinct in the 19th century this species is re-establishing itself in a few areas in southern England.  This was the 5th Norfolk record since 2016 and there were another 5 records in 2020 so it seems like it may be in the process of colonising Norfolk.  In any case we can expect more in coming years...

Gypsy Moth, Themelthorpe, caught by Sean on 18th August 2019

Brown-tail Euproctis chrysorrhoea - 3 caught in the garden between 11th and 26th July 2019 and 9 between 13th and 29th July 2020.  3-4 a year here is normal but I'd never gone above 6 before.  Elsewhere one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and 30 at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020.

Brown-tail, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Yellow-tail Euproctis similis - At least 17 between 11th July and 3rd August 2019 and 40 between 18th June and 12th August 2020.  Although not counted on 3 nights in 2019, so the actual total may have been a little higher than 17, this was certainly my worst year for Yellow-tails here - I averaged 68 a year between 2015 and 2018.  Elsewhere a couple next door, 3 at the meadows (plus a caterpillar on 27th May 2020), one at Bintree Wood and 2 caterpillars at Titchwell on 1st June 2019.

Yellow-tail caterpillar, Titchwell, 1st June 2019

Yellow-tail caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda - Totals of 12 caught in the garden between 22nd April and 30th June 2019 and 7 between 9th and 22nd May 2020.  15 a year is average and these were my worst showings since moving here.  Elsewhere 4 at the meadows and 8 at Hills and Holes.

Pale Tussock, North Elmham, 22nd April 2019

Pale Tussock, North Elmham, 9th May 2020

Pale Tussock, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Vapourer Orgyia antiqua - Singles in the garden moth trap on 6th Augsut and 26th September 2020.  I'd only ever caught 2 here before (2015 and 2017) though I'd also found a caterpillar in 2014.  Elsewhere oone to light at the meadows on 30th July 2019 and then 3 seen in flight in daytime on 15th-17th October; another to light on 18th July 2020.  Also one day-flying at Cromer on 22nd October 2019. 

Vapourer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd July 2019

Vapourer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Vapourer, North Elmham, 26th September 2020

Next page: more Erebidae

New beetle and bugs make up for unremarkable moths

After a decent afternoon at the meadows on 28th May I set the light at home as usual and drew in a selection of moths over the night.  There was nothing very unexpected but the following were new for the year: Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, 2 Buff Ermines, Large Yellow Underwing, Mottled Rustic and Marbled White Spot.

Crescnt Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 28th May

Buff Ermine, North Elmham, 28th May

Large Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 28th May

Mottled Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

Marbled White Spot, North Elmham, 28th May

Other moths trapped that night were Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 3 Common Swifts, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, Currant Pug, 6 Common Pugs, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Pale Oak Beauty, Engrailed, Privet Hawk-moth, 2 Eyed Hawk-moths, 2 White Ermines, 4 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Shears, 5 Common Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 2 Brown Rustics, 5 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Brown Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

The following night this Clouded Silver was the only new moth for the garden year-list.

Clouded Silver, North Elmham, 29th May

The other moths were Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Cream Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, 7 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Pale Tussocks, 3 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, 2 Common Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Brown Rustic, 3 Treble Lines, Silver Y and 2 Spectacles.

Caddisflies conisted of 7 Limnephilus auricula and, new for the year, 2 Limnephilus lunatus.

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 29th May

This beetle on the ground near the trap proved to be Nebria brevicollis.  When keying it out on first attempt I misinterpreted the degree of swelling on the mandibles and the length of the palps so keying it to Leistus sp.  The Leistus key led me to Leistus rufomarginatus and the insect certainly looked a lot like the one I'd identified as that a while back (13th May).  But I noticed the size was slightly out and I decided to go back through the genus key and double check, at which point I realised it was Nebria not Leistus.  In hindsight I think I probably made the same mistake with the one on 13th May, and that that was probably Nebria brevicollis too, though I shan't record it as I no longer have the specimen to check.

Nebria brevicollis, North Elmham, 29th May

I found a Treble Brown Spot in the hall the following day, a new one for the year, and a Diamond-back Plutella xylostella in the garden.

Treble Brown Spot, North Elmham, 30th May

In the trap that night were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Clouded Border, Marbled Brown and 3 Straw Dots, all new species for the year.

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 30th May

Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, North Elmham, 30th May

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham, 30th May

Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 30th May

Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 30th May

Straw Dot, North Elmham, 30th May

There was a good selection of other moths too: 7 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 4 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Mottled Pugs, Currant Pug, 2 Common Pugs, White-pinion Spotted, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Pale Tussocks, 2 White Ermines, 4 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Shears, Lychnis, 4 Common Wainscots, 4 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

There was a single beetle in the trap, a new species for me Dasytes aeratus.

Dasytes aeratus, North Elmham, 30th May

There was also a Hydropsyche pellucidula (caddisfly) and 2 Psallus sp. (mirid bugs) which at first I left unidentified.  Thanks to Tristan Bantock I have just accessed an excellent key that enables me to make more progress with these and I have been able to establish that they were different species, one Psallus varians and the other either Psallus perrisi or Psallus wagneri.  Both were females and the perrisi/wagneri pair need male genitalia to resolve to speices level (though I think perrisi is much more likely, and a male caught nearby a few days later was indeed this species).

Pasllus varians, North Elmham, 30th May

Pasllus perrisi or Psallus wagneri, North Elmham, 30th May