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 14 July 2016

Lots of moths and a rare spider

Getting behind again as the peak moth season leaves me with far more to process than I have time to process.  I'm sure I'll catch up eventually, but I have a study full of material waiting to be examined and it isn't going to be quick!

Next up is 23rd June - over 200 moths of 72 species isn't bad I suppose, but not fantastic for this time of year. Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella was new for the house while Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana, Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, Privet Hawkmoth and Rosy Footman were new for the year here.

Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 23rd June


Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd June


Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, North Elmham, 23rd June


The others were 2 Cypress Tip Moths Argyresthia cupressella, 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, 3 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Light Grey Torrixes Cnephasia incertana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 13 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 5 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 4 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 7 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Common Swift, Pebble Hook-tip, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, 4 Common Pugs, 4 Clouded Borders, 3 Scorched Wings, 2 Peppered Moths, 5 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, Pale Oak Beauty, 2 Common White Waves, 2 Common Waves, 4 Clouded Silvers, 2 Light Emeralds, Elephant Hawkmoth, Pale Prominent, 2 Buff-tips, 3 Common Footmen, 5 White Ermines, 10 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Flame, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Common Wainscot, Poplar Grey, 8 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, Dusky Brocade, 6 Middle-barred Minors, 2 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, 10 Burnished Brasses, 2 Spectacles, Beautiful Hook-tip, 33 Straw Dots, 3 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Dusky Brocade, North Elmham, 23rd June


Other insects included the Mayfly Cloeon Dipterum, the Caddisfly Hydropsyche pellucidula (3 in fact) and a Cockchafer.

Cloeon dipterum, North Elmham, 23rd June


Next day was poorer with far fewer moths and only 47 species.  Among those Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Double Square-spot and Clay were new for the year.

Clay, North Elmham, 24th June


Double Square-spot, North Elmham, 24th June


Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th June


There was a good count of 22 Buff Ermines, but that's still a little way off my peak count last year.  The others were Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 11 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Common Swift, 2 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 3 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, 2 Common White Waves, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Privet Hawkmoth, Eyed Hawkmoth, Common Footman, 5 White Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Common Wainscot, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 5 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, 2 Marbled Minors, Middle-barred Minor, Uncertain, 2 Mottled Rustics, 2 Burnished Brasses, Silver Y, 2 Spectacles, 8 Straw Dots, Snout and Small Fan-foot.

Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, North Elmham, 24th June


Marbled Minor (female, gen det), North Elmham, 24th June


Privet Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 24th June


The only caddisflies identified were Hydropsyche pellucidula and Phryganea grandis.

Phryganea grandis, North Elmham, 24th June


Andy B likes his spiders and a little while ago after showing some to me at Burnham Overy he texted to say he'd found a really rare one.  Well on 25th June I returned to Burnham Overy and found Andy standing with another chap who was lying flat on his belly in the saltmarsh photographing something.  I wandered over and Andy showed me the rare spider he'd found - this one being an egg-sac carrying female: Yellow-striped Bear Spider Arctosa flavolineata.

Yellow-striped Bear Spider Arctosa flavolineata, Burnham Overy, 25th June


A Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella and 4 Cinnabars were the only moths seen but a Bee turned out to be a Red-tailed Cuckoo Bee, which from the range map in the new Bees book looks like is restricted to the NW coast in Norfolk, although the NBN Gateway shows it as being recorded fare more widespreadly in the county.  Not sure the reason for the discrepancy.

Red-tailed Cuckoo Bee Bombus rupestris, Burnham Overy, 25th June


A single Pyramidal Orchid as nice to see.

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