A bumper crop of new moths for the year

I found this Corn Moth Nemapogon granella in the house on Friday 25th May, the third consecutive year I've recorded this generally scarce species, all inside the house.

Corn Moth Nemapogon granella, North Elmham, 25th May

While I was out trapping at the Meadows I had the trap running in the garden, where during the course of the night I trapped exactly the same number of moth species as I'd caught at the Meadows, 61.  These included a notable total of 16 new for the year: Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella, 3 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, Garden Mompha Mompha subbistrigella, Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Grey Pug, Brown Silver-line, Setaceous Hebrew Character and Rustic Shoulder-knot.

Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella, North Elmham, 25th May

Bird's-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, North Elmham, 25th May

Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 25th May

Garden Mompha Mompha subbistrigella, North Elmham, 25th May

Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 25th May

Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, North Elmham, 25th May

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 25th May

Common Marbled Carpet, North Elmham, 25th May

Broken-barred Carpet, North Elmham, 25th May

Foxglove Pug, North Elmham, 25th May

Grey Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 25th May

The other moths trapped were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 White-shouldered House Moths Endrosis sarcitrella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 2 Common Swifts, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Small Rivulet, Mottled Pug, 8 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, Common White Wave, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pale Tussock, 3 White Ermines, Cinnabar, Small Square-spot, Common Wainscot and 5 Treble Lines.

Two caddisfly species were new for the year too: Ithytrichia lamellaris and Hydropsyche pellucidula.  The only other caddis was Limnephilus sparsus.

Ithytrichia lamellaris (female), North Elmham, 25th May

Hydropsyche pellucidula (female), North Elmham, 25th May

A Common Wasp was the only other by-catch I identified.

First decent moth-trapping session at the meadows

I returned to the Cathedral Meadows at dusk on Friday 25th and set up two lights. There was quite a good variety of species - 61 species in the end.  Most of them were fairly much expected but a rather tatty Common Roller Ancylis badiana was a surprise.  Despite its common name this speceis certainly isn't common in Norfolk away from the Brecks (actually away from a fairly small section of the eastern side of the Brecks).

Common Roller Ancylis badiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Other micros consisted of Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, 3 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 4 Gorse Case-bearers Coleophora albicosta, 2 Triple-spot Dwarfs Elachista maculicerusella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, 2 Chamomile Conches Cochylidia implicitana, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 5 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana, 2 Pea Moths Cydia nigricana, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis and Bee Moth Aphomia sociella.

Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella (female, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Gorse Case-bearers Coleophora albicosta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

The 43 species of macro moth were 2 Pebble Hook-tips, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, 2 Small Phoenixes, Common Marbled Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, 8 Green Carpets, Rivulet, Sandy Carpet, 2 Mottled Pugs, Lime-speck Pug, Common Pug, Oak-tree Pug, 2 Brown Silver-lines, 4 Scorched Wings, 2 Brimstone Moths, Scalloped Hazel, Pale Oak Beauty, 3 White-pinion Spotteds, 2 Clouded Silvers, Lime Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Marbled Browns, 6 Pale Tussocks, 9 White Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, 5 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flames, 6 Flame Shoulders, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, White-point, Common Wainscot, Rustic Shoulder-knot and 2 Spectacles.

Blood-vein, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Small Phoenix, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Lime-speck Pug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Scorched Wing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Lime Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Pale Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Pale Tussock, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

White Ermine, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

White-point, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There were also 5 species of caddisfly: Hydropsyche pellucidula, Phryganea bipunctata, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 2 Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus sparsus.

The only bug was a new species for me, and a striking one too, even if its name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue: Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus.

Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There were 3 Cockchafers and this Denticollis linearis which was another new species for me.

Denticollis linearis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

I haven't yet managed to put a name to this caterpillar or this grasshopper nymph (please let me know if you can).

unidentified caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

unidentified grasshopper nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Small Yellow Underwings, a variety of beetles and a new ant

A visit to Burnham Overy on Friday 25th was primarily for birds but needless to say I kept an eye out for other things too.  The weather wasn't ideal for lepidoptera (3 Wall Browns were the only butterflies I saw) but there were a few moths on the wing.  At least 40 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella were most numerous but there were also Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus and 4 Cinnabars.  Curiously James Lowen reported 100++ Diamond-back Moths but I didn't see a single one!  Did they arrive in the afternoon maybe, after I had gone?  There clearly was an arrival of Diamond-backs that day as I saw some later on, but not at Burnham Overy.

This waxfly proved to be a male Coniopteryx tineiformis.

Coniopteryx tineiformis (male, gen det), Burnham Overy, 25th May

Southern Marsh Orchid, Burnham Overy, 25th May

Later on I went for a wander round the Cathedral Meadows and this proved to be much more productive from an invert perspective.  No more butterflies (single Orange-tip and Small Tortoiseshell) but a good variety of moths: Plain Gold Micropterix calthella, Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, 4 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 94 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 5 Grey Gorse Piercers Cydia ulicetana, 2 Pea Moths Cydia nigricana, Sharp-winged Drill Dichrorampha acuminatana, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet and 3 Small Yellow Underwings.

Small Yellow Underwings, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There were at least 15 Green Drake mayflies Ephemera danica engaged in their dancing display flight.

Green Drake Ephemera danica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Dragonflies consisted of Azure Damselfly and my first Banded Demoiselle of the year.

Banded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There was another Coniopterix tineiformis and this Scorpion Fly was my first Panorpa communis for the site.

Panorpa communis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

This Gorse Shieldbug was the only bug I found.

Gorse Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There were quite a few species of beetle including two I hadn't previously identified: Plum Longhorn Beetle Tetrops praeustus and the weevil Trichosirocalus troglodytes.

Plum Longhorn Beetle Tetrops praeustus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Trichosirocalus troglodytes, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Other beetles included 2 Athous haemorrhoidalis, Cantharis nigricans, Cantharis rustica,  Byturus ochraceus, 24-spot Ladybird and 5 Phyllobius pomaceus.

Athous haemorrhoidalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Cantharis rustica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Nettle Weevils Phyllobius pomaceus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

I imagined this red ant would be another Myrmica rubra but it turned to be Myrmica ruginodis, apparently also very common but the first one I've identified.

Myrmica ruginodis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

I attempted to identify a few sawflies, all in the genus Tenthredo.  The first is Tenthredo temula, the second is Tenthredo livida and the last is probably Tenthredo arctuata but there are several similar species and it didn't quite key out right using one of the two keys I tried.  I've caught two more subsequently and think I know where I went wrong - certainly the later ones and probably this one also were arcuata.  Thanks to Andy Musgrove for help with these.

Tenthredo temula, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Tenthredo livida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

probable Tenthredo arcuata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Finally I think these fungi are old Jelly Ears...

Jelly Ear, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May