Among the catch on 10th August was a small pale plume moth. It keyed out fairly straightforwardly as far as either Citron Plume
Euleioptilus carphodactyla or Hemp-agrimony Plume
Adaina microdactyla and given its pale lemon-yellow colouration I anticipated it would prove to be
carphodactyla.
Adaina microdactyla colour is variable - "usually pale ochreous, sometimes pale brown, rarely yellow or light grey" compared to "pale lemon-yellow" for
Euleioptilus carphodactyla (from Colin Hart's British Plume Moths). Pale lemon-yellow described this well (especially when looking under the microscope), but as
microdactyla can rarely be yellow it warranted further work on the keys. The underside of the forewing was dark brown at the base, becoming paler towards the cleft - that matched
carphodactyla and was wrong for
microdactyla which should be more uniformly dark. However there was no sign of the contrast between the costal fringe of the first lobe and the inner fringe, which should be present on
carphodactyla (but not
microdactyla) - but then again the fringe was pretty much worn away at the tip, so that could be why.
I dissected it fully expecting to confirm it as Citron Plume
Euleioptilus carphodactyla but had some trouble. Apparently I hadn't left it in the acid long enough as it as difficult to see all I needed to and I damaged it in the process. Nevertheless the large coiled ductus seminalis was plain to see and there was no sign of any forked tips to the apophyses anteriores, which won't mean a thing to you if you don't do dissections, but clearly identifies it as
Hemp-agrimony Plume Adaina microdactyla rather than
Euleioptilus carphodactyla if you do! I suppose in hindsight it was pretty small for
carphodactyla, but an interesting learning experience.
Hemp-agrimony Plume Adaina microdactyla (female, gen det), North Elmham, 10th August
Next best was a White-speckled Clothes Moth
Nemapogon wolffiella. In 2011-13 I recorded the second, third, fourth and fifth county records of this nationally scarce species, though only one of five records between then and now. This is a new location, so nice to connect with another one here.
White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon wolffiella, North Elmham, 10th August
A Grey-streaked Smudge
Plutella porrectella was only my second ever, but unfortunately made its escape before I could get a photo. New macros for the year were
Oak Hook-tip and
White-spotted Pug.
Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham, 10th August
White-spotted Pug, North Elmham, 10th August
Other macros were 2 Pebble Hook-tips,
Maiden's Blush, Small Fan-footed Wave, 6 Single-dotted Waves, 7 Riband Waves, 2 Shaded Broad-bars,
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet,
Lime-speck Pug, Wormwood Pug, 2 Early Thorns,
Purple Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 4 Willow Beauties,
Elephant Hawkmoth,
Pebble Prominent,
Lesser Swallow Prominent,
2 Coxcomb Prominents, 3 Yellow-tails,
Black Arches, 4 Dingy Footmen, 6 Scarce Footmen, 3 Common Footmen, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, 4 Large Yellow Underwings, 8 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Six-striped Rustics, Smoky Wainscot, 2 Straw Underwings,
2 Dun-bars, 3 Dark Arches, 3 Common Rustics, 2 Flounced Rustics,
Ear Moth, 2 Uncertains, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks and Straw Dot.
The rest of the micros were Carrion Moth
Monopis weaverella, Bird’s-nest Moth
Tinea trinotella,
2 Horse Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, 3 Bird-cherry Ermines
Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Dwarf
Elachista canapennella,
3 Woundwort Case-bearers
Coleophora lineolea, Common Flat-body
Agonopterix heracliana, Brown House-moth
Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Common Groundling
Teleiodes vulgella, 2 Dark Groundlings
Bryotropha affinis, Gorse Crest
Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest
Helcystogramma rufescens,
Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, Red-barred Tortrix
Ditula angustiorana, 2 Maple Buttons
Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrices
Acleris variegana, Barred Marble
Celypha striana, Holly Tortrix
Rhopobota naevana, Marbled Piercer
Cydia splendana,
2 Codling Moths Cydia pomonella, Garden Grass-veneer
Chrysoteuchia culmella, 22 Pearl Veneers
Agriphila straminella, 27 Common Grass-veneers
Agriphila tristella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers
Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer
Catoptria falsella, Little Grey
Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys
Eudonia mercurella,
Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles
Evergestis forficalis,
3 Chequered Straws
Evergestis pallidata, 5 Mother of Pearls
Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies
Endotricha flammealis and Ash-bark Knot-horn
Euzophera pinguis.
Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, North Elmham, 10th August
Other goodies in the moth trap included this fine
Campyloneura virgula, a new species of bug for me.
Campyloneura virgula, North Elmham, 10th August
I'm pretty sure I've seen this species of Mayfly before though I can't find any I've identified as such, so perhaps not. I think it's
Ephemera vulgata*. *Edit 2017: no it wasn't - it was Green Drake
Ephemera danica.
Ephemera danica, North Elmham, 10th August