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

Catching up from 2-3 weeks ago

I've a lot of catching up to do... too many moths and not enough time to process them all!

Anyway, going back now to Sunday 21st June.  Just 2 new for the year: Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana and Common Carpet.

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham, 21st June

Other stuff that night were Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, 3 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Ghost Moth, Riband Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, Privet Hawkmoth, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock, 2 Orange Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, White Ermine, 8 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, 5 Heart and Darts, 3 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Marbled Minors (gen det), Middle-barred Minor, 2 Treble Lines, 2 Burnished Brass and Straw Dot.

Ghost Moth, North Elmham, 21st June

Lesser Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 21st June

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham, 21st June

Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, North Elmham, 21st June

Next day I found a Pale Tussock at work, while home produced a relatively meagre catch of 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, Ghost Moth, 2 Common Swifts, Silver-ground Carpet, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock, Common Footman, 5 Buff Ermines, 4 Heart and Darts, 2 Treble Lines and Burnished Brass.  Also this beetle; I think it's Malthinus flaveolus but there are similar species.

probable Malthinus flaveolus, North Elmham, 22nd June

Poor weather ensured a very poor catch on Tuesday night: Barred Marble Celypha striana, Treble Brown Spot, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock, Buff Ermine, Heart and Dart, Large Yellow Underwing and Ingrailed Clay.

Things improved on Wednesday night, the best of 63 species being a Four-dotted Footman.

Four-dotted Footman, North Elmham, 24th June

Also new for the year were Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, Clay and 2 Beautiful Hook-tips.

Dwarf Cream Wave, North Elmham, 24th June

Beautiful Hook-tip, North Elmham, 24th June

Clay, North Elmham, 24th June

Also that night were Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella (gen det), Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella (gen det), 3 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrices Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (gen det), 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Plum Tortrices Hedya pruniana, 3 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, Treble Brown Spot, Riband Wave, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, 6 Common Pugs, Green Pug, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, 3 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Privet Hawkmoth, Pale Prominent, Marbled Brown, Buff-tip, Pale Tussock, 5 Common Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 8 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 3 Heart and Clubs, 4 Heart and Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, 3 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Small Square-spots, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Common Wainscots, 2 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, 5 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, 2 Marbled Minors, Middle-barred Minor, 8 Treble Lines, 3 Uncertains, 9 Straw Dots and Snout. 

 Hedge Shades Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 24th June

Ligjt Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th June

Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, North Elmham, 24th June

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 24th June

Privet Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 24th June