Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 5: Frosted Orange to Rush Wainscot

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE) (continued)


Frosted Orange Gortyna flavago - Totals of 13 caught in the garden between 21st August and 20th September 2020 and 10 between 22nd August and 15th September 2020, just a little below the average for here.  I very rarely encounter this species anywhere other than at home.

Frosted Orange, North Elmham, 21st August 2019

Frosted Orange, North Elmham, 22nd August 2020

Rosy Rustic Hydraecia micacea - Totals of 14 trapped in the garden between 20th July and 4th October 2019 and 25 between 17th July and 8th November 2020 (the last being my latest ever).  The average annual total here is around 17 but 4 on 30th August 2019 was the first time I've trapped more than 2 together here.  Elsewhere recorded next door on 3 nights, 4 caught at the meadows and 2 in Cornwall.

Rosy Rustic, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Rosy Rustic, North Elmham, 14th August 2020

Butterbur Hydraecia petasitis - Singles caught in the garden on 26th July 2019 and 20th August 2020.  Here is the only place I've ever found this rather scarce species - I had 3 here in 2016 and 3 again in 2018, but none in other years.

Butterbur, North Elmham, 26th July 2019

Butterbur, North Elmham, 20th August 2020 (with Rosy Rustic)

Saltern Ear Amphipoea fucosa - None.  There are quite a few inland records of this species so I never assume my Ear Moths aren't this species and check all of them, but so far no luck.


Ear Moth Amphipoea oculea - Singles trapped in the garden on 23rd and 27th July 2019 and 5th and 8th August 2020 - my worst years here to date.  Numbers fluctuate widely here, with 13 in 2015 the best year.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 4th August 2019 and one there on 18th July 2020.  Another Ear sp. there on 7th August 2020 escaped before I could get it in a pot so I was unable to confirm it - I usually check them all.  They're nearly always male but I caught my first female in 2020.

male Ear Moth, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

male Ear Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

male Ear Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

female Ear Moth, North Elmham, 5th August 2020

male Ear Moth, North Elmham, 8th August 2020

Flounced Rustic Luperina testacea - At least 440 caught in the garden between 4th August and 28th September (my latest ever).  I didn't count them on 7 nights so the true total may have been a little higher, but in any case this was my best year so far.  Records are there to be broken though and in 2020 I caught 1,126 between 27th July (my earliest ever) and 17th September, peaking at 94 on 24th August.  Previous annual totals had varied from 164 to 332.  Elsewhere recorded next door (on 3 nights), 4 at the meadows and one at Whitwell Street.

Flounced Rustic, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd September 2019

Flounced Rustic, North Elmham, 27th July 2020

Flounced Rustic, North Elmham, 4th September 2020

Large Wainscot Rhizedra lutosa - I caught 5 in the garden between 25th September and 24th October 2019 and 5 again between 18th September and 9th November 2020 (the last being my latest ever).  Numbers of this species vary considerably with 27 in 2014, 11 in 2017 but only 2-4 in the other 3 other years.  Also one at the meadows on 8th November 2020.

Large Wainscot, North Elmham, 25th September 2019

Large Wainscot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

Bulrush Wainscot Nonagria typhae - None.  I've only caught this species here once, in 2016.


Fen Wainscot Arenostoia phragmitidis - After my first blank year for this species at home in 2019 I caught 3 between 17th and 23rd July 2020.  2-3 a year is typical although I had 9 in 2018.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 18th July 2020 and a caterpillar at Titchwell on 1st June 2019.

Fen Wainscot caterpillar, Titchwell, 1st June 2019

Fen Wainscot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Twin-spotted Wainscot Lenisa geminipuncta - None at home in 2019 but one here on 14th August 2020.  I had 5 here in 2018 but 0-2 is normal.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 4th August 2019.

Twin-spotted Wainscot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Twin-spotted Wainscot, North Elmham, 14th August 2020

Brown-veined Wainscot Archanara dissoluta - None.  I've never seen this species locally - records are few and far between in mid Norfolk but there are enough to think it should be a possibility here.


Small Rufous Coenobia rufa - 2 trapped in the garden on 17th July 2019 and then in 2020 singles on 31st July and 7th August.  2-3 a year is average here.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 7th August 2020.

Small Rufouses, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Small Rufous, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Small Rufous, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

Small Wainscot Denticucullus pygmina - None.  I've never recorded this species locally but there are quite a few records in mid Norfolk so it should turn up round here sometime.


Mere Wainscot Photedes fluxa - 4 caught in the garden between 4th and 20th July 2019 making it my best year to date for this species.  I caught 5 here between 2015-2018.  None in 2020 but even so it seems quite surprising that I should get so many of these relatively scarce moths here, especially as there isn't much of its foodplant round here so far as I know (and the Flora atlas seems to support that).  Finding it rather tricky to tell these from Small Wainscot I have gen detted a few of them to make quite sure, but these have confirmed we are dealing with this species.

Mere Wainscot, North Elmham, 4th July 2019

Mere Wainscot, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

Mere Wainscot, North Elmham, 20th July 2019

Small Dotted Buff Photedes minima - Singles trapped in the garden on 30th June 2019 and 31st July 2020.  I'd only caught 2 of these here before, in 2015 and 2018.

male Small Dotted Buff, North Elmham, 30th June 2019

female Small Dotted Buff, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Webb's Wainscot Globia sparganii - One caught at home on 22nd August 2019.  This was my 4th record here following 2 in 2015 and one in 2017.  None here in 2020 but one at the meadows on 7th August.

Webb's Wainscot, North Elmham, 22nd August 2019

Webb's Wainscot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Rush Wainscot Globia algae - One of the mothing highlights of 2019 was finding one of these in my trap on 25th July.  Not only a new moth for me but this Red Data Book species is so rare that it isn't recorded every year in the county and had never been seen round here before.  It was a fresh individual early in the flight period suggesting that it had bred locally, and this was further supported in 2020 when another fresh one turned up in the trap on 26th July, followed by another on 8th August.

Rush Wainscot, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Rush Wainscot, North Elmham, 26th July 2020

Rush Wainscot, North Elmham, 8th August 2020

Next page: more Noctuidae

Abnormal Antler Moth and Barred Rivulet

This Antler Moth was new for the year on Friday 4th August.  There can be a bit of variation in the pattern of Antler Moths but I don't think I've ever seen one before that completely lacked the oval mark.  It was a bit worn but I don't think that can explain it - there are dark scales present in the place where you would normally expect to see a pale oval (just above the pale kidney mark that is present as normal).

Antler Moth, North Elmham, 4th August

Other moths trapped that night were House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 26 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 6 Riband Waves, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Phoenix, Currant Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, Scorched Carpet, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Willow Beauty, Common Wave, 3 Dingy Footmen, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, White-point, Common Rustic, Lesser Common Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Silver Y, 2 Spectacles and 12 Straw Dots.

Scorched Carpet, North Elmham, 4th August

Silver Y, North Elmham, 4th August

Another Licoris tripustulatus (mirid bug) was the most interesting other insect; a sub-imago Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum (mayfly) being the only other thing I recorded.

The following night was very poor - just 25 moths: Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 5 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Riband Waves, Willow Beauty, Pale Prominent, Dingy Footman, Buff Ermine, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spotted Clay, Common Rustic, Spectacle and 3 Straw Dots.

The best moth on 6th August was a Barred Rivulet, a species I saw here shortly after moving in in 2014 but hadn't seen anywhere since then.

Barred Rivulet, North Elmham, 6th August

Other moths were Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 2 House Groundlings Bryotropha domestica, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 10 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Double-striped Pug, Coxcomb Prominent, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, White-point, Lesser Common Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Silver Y and 7 Straw Dots.

Among the caddisflies Ylodes conspersus was a new species for me and Lype phaeopa was new for the year.  There was also a Hydropsyche pellucidula along with Forest Bug and the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator.

Ylodes conspersus (female), North Elmham, 6th August

Lype phaeopa, North Elmham, 6th August

The following evening a wander round the local gravel pits looking for birds produced insects instead, some of which didn't bite me (although most did, it seemed).  Not many moths but among 3 Straw Dots was a tortrix which at first I took to be a Dichrorampha sp.  It was only when I went to dissect it a few weeks later and reviewed my photos that I realised it was something more interesting, and sure enough the dissection went on to confirm it - my first Pea Moth Cydia nigricana.

Pea Moth Cydia nigricana (male, gen det), Bittering, 7th August

This bug also proved to be a lifer - Plagiognathus chrysanthemi.

Plagiognathus chrysanthemi, Bittering, 7th August

A few interesting moths at home that night included a nice Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana and a Webb's Wainscot.

Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana, North Elmham, 7th August

Webb's Wainscot, North Elmham, 7th August

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea was also new for the year and 3 Pale-streak Grass-veneers Agriphila selasela were notable.

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, North Elmham, 7th August

Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, North Elmham, 7th August

Other moths were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella, Bulrush Cosmet Limnaecia phragmitella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 14 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 20 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, 4 Single-dotted Waves, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Currant Pug, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Oak, Pale Prominent, 2 Dingy Footmen, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Rustic, Burnished Brass and 7 Straw Dots.

Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, North Elmham, 7th August

Beetles consisted of Bradycellus verbasci and my first identified Pterostichus niger.  3 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum represented the mayflies while caddisflies included Ithytrichia lamellaris and Hydropsyche siltalai.

Pterostichus niger, North Elmham, 7th August