Early April - moths starting to appear

No April fools on 1st April but an Early Grey was new for the year.  Not many other moths: Small Quaker, Clouded Drab and 9 Hebrew Characters.

Early Grey, North Elmham, 1st April

Next day this Varied Carpet Beetle Anthrenus verbasci appeared in the house (as usual, in a room without carpets).  This one was my first this year.

Varied Carpet Beetle Anthrenus verbasci, North Elmham, 2nd April

That night Twin-spotted Quaker made it on to the year list.Others moths were 2 Shoulder Stripes, Oak Beauty, Common Quaker, 6 Clouded Drabs, 11 Hebrew Characters and 2 Chestnuts.

Twin-spotted Quaker, North Elmham, 2nd April

It missed its own month but a March Tubic Diurnea fagella was new for the year on 3rd April.  Other moths that night were 3 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, March Moth, 3 Oak Beauties, Red Chestnut, 2 Small Quakers, 5 Common Quakers, 7 Clouded Drabs, Twin-spotted Quaker and 9 Hebrew Characters.

March Tubic Diurnea fagella, North Elmham, 3rd April

A single new moth for the year for the fourth consecutive night on 4th, this time Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.  Also that night: Oak Beauty, Dotted Border, 3 Small Quakers, Common Quaker, 3 Clouded Drabs, 5 Hebrew Characters and Black Sexton Beetle.

Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, North Elmham, 4th April

The following night's moths were March Moth, 3 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 2 Twin-spotted Quakers and 10 Hebrew Characters. The only new species for the year in the trap was this Buff-tailed Bumblebee (I guess the tick it was carrying would have been too had I been able to identify it).

Buff-tailed Bumblebee, North Elmham, 5th April

The following night produced March Moth, 2 Small Quakers, Common Quaker, 8 Clouded Drabs, 10 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.

On Saturday 7th I took a birding group round Minsmere in Suffolk.  As I was tucking into a slice of Chocolate Challenge at the cafe after we'd finished I felt a sharp nip to the back of my hand.  The culrpit turned out to be this Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum.

Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum, Minsmere, 7th April

A good variety of moths at home that night, though an Engrailed was the only one that was new for the year.  The others were 6 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Shoulder Stripe, Red Chestnut, 10 Small Quakers, 7 Common Quakers, 7 Clouded Drabs, Twin-spotted Quaker, 11 Hebrew Characters, Early Grey and Chestnut.

Engrailed, North Elmham, 7th April

There were a few other insects caught too, including my first green lacewing of the year, a male Chrysoperla carnea, and my first leafhopper of the year, Empoasca vitis.  Having recently joined the Dipterists Forum I thought I'd try my hand at identifying a fly, but failed.  I think it belonged to the family Simuliidae but I couldn't get any further than that.

Chrysoperla carnea (male), North Elmham, 7th April

Epoasca vitis, North Elmham, 7th April

Simuliid fly sp., North Elmham, 7th April

The following night was quieter with just 4 Small Quakers, 3 Common Quakers, Twin-spotted Quaker, 17 Hebrew Characters and Black Sexton Beetle. Next day was even worse with Varied Carpet Beetle inside, 3 Small Quakers and 7 Hebrew Characters.

The night of 10th April was more promising and hopes were raised when I went to have a quick look round the outside of the trap before I went to bed as the first two moths I saw were both new for the year: Water Carpet (not quite annual here) and Brindled Pug.  It turned out they were the only new for the year but a reasonable variety included March Tubic Diurnea fagella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Red Chestnut, 7 Small Quakers, 4 Common Quakers, 3 Clouded Drabs, 2 Twin-spotted Quakers, 23 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.

Brindled Pug, North Elmham, 10th April

Water Carpet, North Elmham, 10th April

Another new moth for the year the following night: Early Thorn.  That was my 30th moth species this year - pretty poor for 11th April (last year I was on 47 by this time despite having spent a week out of the county in early April).  Also March Tubic Diurnea fagella, Red Chestnut, 6 Small Quakers, 4 Common Quakers, Twin-spotted Quaker, 15 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.

Early Thorn, North Elmham, 11th April

Three new moths for the year

Wednesday night saw another Oak Beauty, a Dotted Border and my first Satellite of the year here.  Also 2 ichneumid wasps Ophion obscuratus.

Satellite, North Elmham, 22nd February

All I could muster on Thursday night was a single Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana and Friday night was no better with just a Chestnut.

I wasn't expecting much more on Saturday night but ended up with Pale Brindled Beauty, Dotted Border, my first Hebrew Character of the year and 2 Chestnuts.

 Hebrew Character, North Elmham, 25th February

On Sunday I found a Common Wasp in the house, my first this year.  Last night a Winter Shades Tortricodes alternella was also new for the year.  Also 3 Pale Brindled Beauties.

Winter Shades Tortricodes alternella, North Elmham, 26th February

Today this Varied Carpet Beetle Anthrenus verbasci in the bathroom was my first this year.

Varied Carpet Beetle Anthrenus verbasci, North Elmham, 27th February

Ypsolopha murinella - first moth-tick of the year!

Went out to the garden just before dusk to put the light in place and decided to take a second look at the piece of straw stuck to the side of the shed.  I've a feeling it was there this morning when I checked the moth trap and I dismissed it as a piece of straw.  But it wasn't a piece of straw, it was a Spindle Smudge Yposolopha mucronella!  A new moth for me and easily the best moth so far this year!

Spindle Smudge Ypsolopha mucronella, North Elmham, 12th March

Another Varied Carpet Beetle appeared in the bathroom today - in almost exactly the same place as the last one - where are they coming from?  Can't find any suitable breeding habitat for them in the bathroom!

Varied Carpet Beetle, North Elmham, 12th March

Recently I had a look at a beech leaf I'd kept back from September that had then contained leafmines occupied by Small Beech Pigmy Stigmella tityrella.  Not really sure how to grow out leafmines and I've no idea if the thing I'm taking to be the pupa is alive or dead, or even empty - or indeed if it is the pupa.  Anyway, when looking to see if anything had emerged from it I discovered a tiny green mite with a few long hairs on its back.  I don't know much about mites but a bit of research uncovered two species that occupy beech leaves (there might be thousands more for all I know).  One (Aceria nervisequa) has distinctive galls that appear to be absent on this leaf.  The other has rolled up edges to the leaf with hairs - my leaf doesn't look nearly as obviously rolled as the photos online but the edges of the leaf are quite hairy in places and maybe just a little rolled.  So don't know, but maybe that's what the mite is: Acalitus stenaspis.  I can't find any pictures of the adult mite online, so no idea if it's supposed to look green and hairy or not.

Couldn't manage to get it to sit still long enough to take photos through the microscope while it was alive, but when I looked again today it was dead, and sitting still.

dead mite from Beech leaf, perhaps Acalitus stenaspis?, North Elmham, 12th March

More like it!

Saw my first hoverfly of the year at Strumpshaw Fen today - a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus (on a Coltsfoot flower).

Despite Friday night's lack of success with torchlight mothing Dave and I tried again for a short while this evening.  This time Beetley Common was the location as I figured it would be more sheltered.  So it proved and despite the clear sky, moonlight and significant breeze we did manage to find a few moths.  Nothing amazing but 3 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, Dotted Border and Satellite.

There was no sign of much happening at the home moth trap when I went to bed, and the garden was not well sheltered from the wind.  So expectations were low when I went to check the trap in the morning, especially after the poor results of the past couple of nights.  I was pleasantly surprised to see three different moths on the top of the trap: an Early Moth (not living up to its name: my latest ever by about two weeks), a March Moth and my first Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana of the year.

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th March

 
It didn't stop there as the trap contained 4 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, Oak Beauty (always a stunner and new for the year), Clouded Drab (never a stunner but also new for the year), Hebrew Character and Chestnut.

Oak Beauty, North Elmham, 7th March

Clouded Drab, North Elmham, 7th March

A Varied Carpet Beetle was less welcome in the house this morning, though oddly in a room that had neither carpets for it to breed in nor open windows for it to have come in through.

Varied Carpet Beetle, North Elmham, 7th March