Review of 2019 and 2020 - Leafhoppers part 8: subfamily Typhlocybinae IV and Lacehoppers and Planthoppers

LEAFHOPPERS (CICADELLIDAE) continued


SUBFAMILY TYPHLOCYBINAE (continued)


Zygina angusta - One at the Cathedral Meadows on 29th March 2019 followed by one in my garden moth trap on 23rd August and another 3 between 24th November and 19th December.  Just one here in 2020, on 20th August.

Zygina angusta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th March 2019

Zygina angusta, North Elmham, 23rd August 2019

Zygina angusta, North Elmham, 13th December 2019

Zygina angusta, North Elmham, 19th December 2019

Zygina angusta, North Elmham, 20th August 2020

Zygina flammigera - Singles at the Cathedral Meadows on 2nd May 2019 and 16th March 2020.  Caught in the garden moth trap on 3 dates between 31st July and 2nd September 2020.

Zygina flammigera, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2019

Zygina flammigera, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Zygina flammigera, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

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LACEHOPPERS (CIXIIDAE)


Cixius nervosus - My first example of this species came to light at the meadows on 7th August 2020 and was then followed by one beaten from Oak there on 5th September.

Cixius nervosus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Cixius nervosus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th September 2020

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PLANTHOPPERS (DELPHACIDAE)


Asiraca clavicornis - None.  I found this species at the meadows in April 2021.


Stenocranus major - One of 3 similar hoppers at the meadows on 27th March 2019 was retained and proved to be this species.  More were found in the same area of Reed Canary-grass on 2nd May and 16th September 2020 (and in 2021).

Stenocranus major, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th March 2019

Stenocranus major, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2020

Stenocranus major, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th September 2020

Stenocranus minutus - None.  I found this species at the meadows in 2018.


Eurysa lineata - One at the meadows on 20th June 2020 was my first record of this species.

Eurysa lineata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th June 2020

Javesella pellucida - A total of 4 Javesella planthoppers found in my garden moth trap between 17th July and 1st August 2019 and 4 again between 31st July and 10th August 2020.  Also 3 at the meadows between 24th April and 8th May 2020.  Most were females, which I understand are not reliably identified to species level but there were single confirmed male pellucida here in each year and one at the meadows.  There was another male here in 2019, but it had been parasitised by a Stylops and although the genital capsule was present (and resembled this species) it was empty, i.e. no aedeagus etc.  I can only presume that these parts had either been eaten by the Stylops or else they had not developed properly as a result of the Stylops being there.

probable female Javesella pellucida, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

probable male Javesella pellucida infected by Stylops, North Elmham, 24th July 2019

male Javesella pellucida, North Elmham, 27th July 2019

probable female Javesella pellucida, North Elmham, 1st August 2019

male Javesella pellucida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

male Javesella pellucida, North Elmham, 6th August 2020 - showing aedeagus

Struebingianella lugubrina - None.  I caught this species at home in 2018.

My first Sloe Midget

Arguably the highlight on the night of Sunday 16th July was a New Poplar Pigmy Ectoedemia hannoverella, a species I'd seen for the first time in June.  Again this one keyed out quite straightforwardly and I checked its genitalia for added confidence (this time it was a female - the last one was a male) (but see 2018 comment below).

New Poplar Pigmy Ectoedemia hannoverella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th July - or not: see below...

* Edit 2018: OK, I got a bit suspicious after my fourth in 2018 which seems a lot for a Poplar-feeding species given the distance from here to the nearest Poplars.  Having looked into it a bit more it now seems possible - indeed likely - that they are not hannoverella but Spotted Black Pigmies Ectoedemia subbimaculella.  I cannot rule out hannoverella, nor the Holm-Oak species heringella as both the external appearance and the genitalia are very similar between all 3 species, but as there is an Oak tree close by (subbimaculella feeds on Oak) and no Poplar or Holm-Oak very close I think subbimaculella is most likely.  Not entirely sure why I overlooked this as a possibility - probably because most of the photos online show much better patterned individuals than any of mine.

A few species were new for the year: Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Dark Dagger and Herald.

Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th July

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 16th July

Dark Dagger (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th July

Herald, North Elmham, 16th July

A good selection of other micros consisted of Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, 26 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Tipped Oak Case-bearer Coleophora flavipennella, Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Dark Groundlings Bryotropha affinis, 2 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 4 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 2 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 2 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, 18 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 24 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 3 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, 20 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella and Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima.

Other insects included the mayfly Serratella ignita, the green lacewing Cunctochrysa albolineata and the brown lacewing Micromus variegatus.  Caddisflies included Hydroptila sparsa which was new for the year, Hydropsyche siltalai, 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula and Leptocerus tineiformis.  Beetles included the water beetle Rhantus suturalis, new-for-the-year Bradycellus verbasci (one confirmed and a second presumed) and Brown Chafer.

Hydroptila sparsa, North Elmham, 16th July

Bradycellus verbasci, North Elmham, 16th July

There were Peacock and Small Tortroiseshell in the garden next day - the Peacock apparently being my first garden record this year (really?!).  I also found a Small Purple and Gold (Mint Moth) Pyrausta aurata flying around the mint in the garden.

Earlier in July I reported my first fully-identified Phyllonorycter cerasicolella (I'd seen cerasicolella/spinicolella agg. before).  Now I can report my first fully-identified example of the other of the aggregate pair, Sloe Midget Phyllonorycter spinicolella, at home on Monday 17th July.

Sloe Midget Phyllonorycter spinicolella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th July

A Two-spotted Neb Eulamprotes atrella was another good moth that night - not one I see often at home (my first here was almost exactly a year ago).

Two-spotted Neb Eulamprotes atrella, North Elmham, 17th July

The only other new moth for the year that night was a Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis.

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham, 17th July

Other moths in the garden that night were Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 5 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 3 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 20 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 3 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 8 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Chinese Characters, Blood-vein, 3 Least Carpets, 9 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 6 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, Yellow Shell, 2 Magpie Moths, 2 Early Thorns, Scalloped Oak, Peppered Moth, Engrailed, Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 2 Round-winged Muslins, 4 Rosy Footmen, 25 Dingy Footmen, 6 Scarce Footmen, 21 Common Footmen, 6 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Double Square-spots, 2 Brown-line Bright Eyes, 2 Smoky Wainscots, 4 Dark Arches, 2 Common Rustics, 8 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, 7 Nut-tree Tussocks, Spectacle and Straw Dot.

Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, North Elmham, 17th July

There were 3 species of mayfly in the trap: Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Green Drake Ephemera danica and Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita.  Lacewings were less well-represtented with just one Dichochrysa flavifrons.  A selection of caddisflies included Oxyethira flavicornis, Cyrnus trimaculatus, Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche pellucidula and Limnephilus lunatus.  Two Aphodius rufipes were the only beetles and the only bugs were 2 Zygina angusta, a leafhopper I'd not positively identified before.

Zygina angusta (male above, female below), North Elmham, 17th July