Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Ermines (Yponomeutidae) (part 2: Swammerdamia complex, Cedestis and Ocnerostoma)

ERMINES (YPONOMEUTIDAE) (continued)


Copper-tipped Ermine Pseudoswammerdamia combinella - Singles in my garden moth trap on 1st June 2019 and 27th May 2020 were only my second and third records ever (first was here in May 2015).

Copper-tipped Ermine Pseudoswammerdamia combinella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

Copper-tipped Ermine Pseudoswammerdamia combinella, North Elmham, 27th May 2020

Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella - One in the garden trap on 30th July 2020.  I've only recorded this species twice before at home, in 2016 and 2018 - surprisingly scarce for a common birch-feeding species (there is a birch in my front garden and huge one in next door's garden).  Although this is grade 2 it would take a very clear and fresh example to satisfy me the ID was correct without gen detting.

male Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella - One at the meadows on 25th May 2019 and then 11 in my garden between 21st July and 8th August, the worst showing here four 4 years.  A more typical 25 in my garden between 16th July and 13th August 2020.  Although fresh examples can be straightforward I find I have to confirm a lot of these by gen detting.  Some of the other species in this group can show a slight purply or coppery sheen to their terminal cilia (including Paraswammerdamia nebulella for example) and worn pyrella can lose this altogether. Other characters don't seem to be very reliable either, at least on any but the freshest specimens.

Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

male Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July 2020

male Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th August 2020

male Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th August 2020

White-headed Ermine Paraswammerdamia albicapitella - 4 trapped at home and one at the meadows between 5th June and 30th August 2019 making it my equal-best year for this species, but this was bettered in 2020 when I caught 6 in the garden and 3 at the meadows between 25th May and 19th August.  Beware worn nebulella which can look very white on the thorax - I gen det any that aren't fresh and obvious and sometimes get a surprise.

White-headed Ermine Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019

White-headed Ermine Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella - 10 trapped here between 23rd June and 25th July 2019 and 11 between 18th June and 31st July 2020.  Both fairly average years though well down on the 21 in 2018.

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 18th June 2020

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 30th June 2020

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 18th July 2020

Gold Pine Ermine Cedestis gysseleniella - one trapped in my garden on 25th July 2019, my second here following one in 2016.

Gold Pine Ermine Cedestis gysseleniella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Brown Pine Ermine Cedestis subfasciella - One at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020 and singles in the garden on 5th and 15th August.  I'd only ever seen one before, in my garden in 2015.

Brown Pine Ermine Cedestis subfasciella, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

Brown Pine Ermine Cedestis subfasciella, North Elmham, 15th August 2020

Grey Pine Ermine Ocnerostoma friesei - A worn one to LEDs at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020, my second ever record (one at home in 2017).

male Grey Pine Ermine Ocnerostoma friesei, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Next page: Ypsolophidae

Winterton mothing

Saturday 19th August was the night of the Norfolk Moth Survey event at Winterton.  I went along hoping for some good moths but the conditions were quite breezy so not ideal.  We still had a good time though.  There were no new moths for me (actually Stuart showed me leafmines of Sandhill Midget Phyllonorycter quinqueguttella which I've not seen before, but I don't count leafmines, especially vacated ones) but we recorded a few interesting species.

We'd hoped for some migrants and did indeed have a nice haul of 5 Scarce Bordered Straws, a species I'd only seen once before - but some variety on the migrant front would have been nice.  There were 6 White-points and a Diamond-back Moth but I'd been hoping for something a bit more interesting.

Scarce Bordered Straws, Winterton, 19th August

There were plenty of highlights though, including Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella, Long-legged Tabby Synaphe punctalis, 13 Chevrons, 2 Peacock Moths, 6 White-line Darts, Coast Dart, 15 Archer's Darts, 10 True Lover's Knots, Dotted Clay, 2 Gold Spots and 2 Red Underwings.

Long-legged Tabby Synaphe punctalis, Winterton, 19th August

Chevron, Winterton, 19th August

White-line Dart, Winterton, 19th August

Coast Dart, Winterton, 19th August

Dotted Clay (male, gen det), Winterton, 19th August

Red Underwing, Winterton, 19th August

The other moths included Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella, Dull Red Groundling Bryotropha senectella, 2 Dusky Groundlings Aroga velocella, Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Birch Marbles Apotomis betuletana, 2 Small Birch Bells Epinotia ramella, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, 42 Barred Grass-veneers Agriphila inquinatella, 3 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, 3 Ground-moss Greys Eudonia truncicolella, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Heather Knot-horn Pempelia palumbella, 2 Scalloped Hook-tips, 3 Pebble Hook-tips, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 5 Narrow-winged Pugs, 3 Double-striped Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, 2 Canary-shouldered Thorns, Willow Beauty, 2 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, 2 Coxcomb Prominents, Garden Tiger, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 16 Flame Shoulders, 20 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 26 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 14 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 5 Six-striped Rustics, Nutmeg, 2 Cabbage Moths, 3 Common Wainscots, 10 Straw Underwings, Angle Shades, 5 Dark Arches, Rosy Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Pale Mottled Willow and 2 Burnished Brasses.

Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella (female, gen det), Winterton, 19th August

Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella (male, gen det confirmed by Jon Clifton), Winterton, 19th August

The only caddisflies I noted were 3 Limnephilus marmoratus.  This weevil proved to be a new species for me, Hypera zoilus.

Hypera zoilus, Winterton, 19th August

I was uncertain about the ID of this leafhopper - it resembled Mocydiopsis attenuata but the length of the final abdominal segment seemed a good match for the photo on British Bugs of Mocydiopsis parvicauda.  That species normally lacks the dark spot in the clavus which this one had but the text in the website implied that it could possibly have the dark spot sometimes.  So I contacted Tony Irwin, an old friend and county recorder for leafhoppers among other things.  He noted a resemblance to Mocydiopsis intermedia, a species not recorded in Britain, but he was at pains to point out that it would probably turn out to be less exciting.  He later examined the insect for me and confirmed that it was Mocydiopsis attenuata - so not quite as exciting as a new species for Britain but perhaps still the best record of the night as Tony thinks it was new for the vice county.

Mocydiopsis attenuata (gen det by Tony Irwin), Winterton, 19th August

Pale Eggar and Sycamore-seed Pigmy

Three new macros for the garden year list on 28th August including my second ever Pale Eggar.  The other two were Frosted Orange and Pinion-streaked Snout.

Pale Eggar, North Elmham, 28th August

Frosted Orange, North Elmham, 28th August

Pinion-streaked Snout, North Elmham, 28th August

Two of the 3 Silver Ys were the tiny variant f. gammina, while other migrants included Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella and Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis.

Silver Ys (typical individual above, f. gammina below), North Elmham, 28th August

The rest were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 2 Black-headed Conches Cochylis atricapitana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, 12 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 3 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Garden Carpets, Common Carpet, Purple Bar, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 5 Green Carpets, Double-striped Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, 16 Brimstone Moths, 2 Dusky Thorns, Willow Beauty, Common Wave, Poplar Hawkmoth, 11 Flame Shoulders, 19 Large Yellow Underwings, 10 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, 14 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 10 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Knot Grass, Copper Underwing, 11 Flounced Rustics, 4 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle, 9 Straw Dots and 8 Snouts.

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 28th August

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, North Elmham, 28th August

Other wildlife included Common Frog, the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius lutescens, Forest Bug and a Common Carder Bee.

Common Carder Bee, North Elmham, 28th August

There were far fewer moths on 29th - just these: Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Orange Swift, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Garden Carpets, 2 Common Carpets, Double-striped Pug, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Dusky Thorn, Light Emerald, 7 Flame Shoulders, 12 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2 Small Square-spots, 7 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 10 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Mouse Moth, 5 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, 4 Burnished Brasses and Snout.

The day after was better again, the highlight being a new moth for me, Sycamore-seed Pigmy Ectoedemia decentella.

Sycamore-seed Pigmy Ectoedemia decentella, North Elmham, 28th August

A Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella was, perhaps surprisingly, new for the house.

Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 28th August

This Feathered Gothic was also new for the year.

Feathered Gothic, North Elmham, 28th August

The rest were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, 3 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Small Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, Common Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 7 Green Carpets, Lime-speck Pug, Triple-spotted Pug, 2 Currant Pugs, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Treble-bars, 2 Yellow-barred Brindles, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Willow Beauty, 7 Light Emeralds, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Dingy Footman, 5 Flame Shoulders, 19 Large Yellow Underwings, 13 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 4 Small Square-spots, 13 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, Six-striped Rustic, 7 Square-spot Rustics, White-point, 2 Common Wainscots, Straw Underwing, 5 Flounced Rustics, Burnished Brass, Silver Y, Spectacle, 8 Straw Dots and 10 Snouts.

Bugs included Lygus pratensis, new for the house, Birch Shieldbug, Forest Bug and the leafhopper Balclutha punctata.  Lacewings were represented by Hemerobius humulinus.

Lygus pratensis, North Elmham, 28th August

Balclutha punctata, North Elmham, 28th August