Description


A diary of my mothing activity covering highlights and photos from my moth trapping activities. Mainly Norfolk (UK), occasionally beyond. I may mention other wildlife sightings here, especially insects, but for birds see my birding diary.

Thursday 30 July 2015

Brancaster moths

Dave and I headed up to Gypsy Lane at Brancaster to try some mothing along the public footpath there.  Before setting up we headed out to the saltmarsh with a net and found some good moths.  Best among these were at least 4 Thrift Nebs Aristotelia brizella - a saltmarsh species that has only been recorded in Norfolk 3 times previously, though must lurk in the saltmarshes uncrecorded.


Thrift Nebs Aristotelia brizella, Brancaster, 27th June


A Rosy Wave was good too, a bit of a NW Norfolk special.

Rosy Wave, Brancaster, 27th June


Also Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 4 Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana and Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana.  Along the path down from the car park were Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, Yellow Shell, Clouded Silver and Snout. 

Dark-barred Tortrix Sydemis musculana, Brancaster, 27th June


Hedge Shades Isotrias rectifasciana, Brancaster, 27th June


We set up our lights and watched on as an excellent array of species attended.  Among them were half a dozen new ones for me.  The fabulous Orange-rayed Pearl Nascia cilialis was a personal highlight:

Orange-rayed Pearl Nascia cilialis, Brancaster, 27th June


Marbled Coronet was a nice surprise, though perhaps shouldn't have been as a high proportion of the county's records come from the NW Norfolk coastline.

Marbled Coronet, Brancaster, 27th June


Dave was hoping for one, but we recorded at least 6 Obscure Waisncots:




Obscure Wainscots, Brancaster, 27th June


Having done relatively little trapping in reedbed habitats, 3 Flame Wainscots were also new for me.

 Flame Wainscot, Brancaster, 27th June


Sandhill Knot-horn Anerastia lotella was another coastal species we'd not seen before.

Sandhill Knot-horn Anerastia lotella, Brancaster, 27th June


Finally a Dog's Tooth was perhaps a very over-due lifer for me.

 Dog's Tooth, Brancaster, 27th June


When trapping near reed-beds at this time of year, you always hope for a variety of Wainscots and this night did not disappoint.  In addition to the Obscure and Flame Wainscots mentioned above we recorded 3 Striped Wainscots, Southern Wainscot, Common Wainscot and Silky Wainscot, the latter being my first opportunity to have a really good look at one.

Silky Wainscot, Brancaster, 27th June


Striped Wainscot, Brancaster, 27th June


Among the macros we had a good selection of Hawkmoths: 2 Pine Hawkmoths, Poplar Hawkmoth, Eyed Hawkmoth, 5 Elephant Hawkmoths and Small Elephant Hawkmoth.

Pine Hawkmoth, Brancaster, 27th June


Other good macros included 8 Figure of Eighties, Blue-bordered Carpet, Barred Red, 8 Round-winged Muslins, Red-necked Footman, Small Angle Shades, Green Silver-lines, 2 Plain Golden Ys, Blackneck, Pinion-streaked Snout and Dotted Fan-foot

Plain Golden Y, Brancaster, 27th June


 Barred Red, Brancaster, 27th June


Blue-bordered Carpet, Brancaster, 27th June


Green Silver-lines, Brancaster, 27th June


Pinion-streaked Snout, Brancaster, 27th June


Noteworthy micros included 2 Crescent Groundlings Teleiodes luculella, 11 confirmed Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella, Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens and Wainscot Veneer Chilo phragmitella.


Crecsent Groundlings Teleiodes luculella, Brancaster, 27th June


Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella, Brancaster, 27th June


Orange Crest Helcystogramma riufescens, Brancaster, 27th June


Wainscot Veneer Chilo phragmitella, Brancaster, 27th June





Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella (males, gen det), Brancaster, 27th June


The rest of the macros were 2 Ghost Moths, 3 Common Swifts, 3 Drinkers, Pebble Hook-tip, Buff Arches, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Barred Straw, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, Shaded Pug, 2 Clouded Borders, Latticed Heath, 5 Scorched Wings, 2 Brimstone Moths, Peppered Moth, 3 Mottled Beauties, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Iron Prominent, Buff-tip, Rosy Footman, Common Footman, 2 White Ermines, Buff Ermine, Turnip Moth, Heart and Club, 2 Heart and Darts, 12 Flames, Flame Shoulder, Ingrailed Clay, 5 Sycamores, 4 Dark Arches, Light Arches, 3 Marbled Minors (gen det), Tawny Marbled Minor (gen det), 6 Middle-barred Minors, Uncertain, Mottled Rustic, 2 Burnished Brass, 4 Straw Dots and Snout.

Turnip Moth, Brancaster, 27th June


The rest of the micros were 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa untitella,  Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 4 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 2 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrices Pandemis cerasana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, 2 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 2 Green Oak Tortrices Tortrix viridana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella


Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, Brancaster, 27th June


This beetle looked distinctive enough that I thought I would be able to identify it.... but I couldn't!  Thanks to James for reading this and steering me in direction of the Reed Beetles Donacia with some tips about separating the best candidates.  It seems to be Donacia clavipes.


Donacia clavipes, Brancaster, 27th June

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