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.

Friday 28 October 2016

Gold Spot, Butterbur and a monopoly of Bryotropha basaltinella

A new moth for the garden on 23rd August was this fantastic Gold Spot.  They're not supposed to be very unusual but this was only the second Gold Spot I've seen anywhere.

Gold Spot, North Elmham, 23rd August


Another good macro, though much less exciting to look at, was this Butterbur - my second of the autumn.

Butterbur, North Elmham, 23rd August


Much rarer than either of these, at least as far as number of records are concerned, were a pair of micros.  I have the monopoly on Thatch Groundlings Bryotropha basaltinella in Norfolk.  I found the first in my garden trap shortly after moving in to North Elmham in 2014.  The second followed last year and now here are two more.


Thatch Groundlings Bryotropha basaltinella (female above and male below, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd August


An Ashy Button Acleris sparsana was a surprise.  I normally see these in October, with all previous records falling between mid September and mid November, so wasn't expecting to add one to the year list on 23rd August!

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, North Elmham, 23rd August


Others new for the year were Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, Small Alder Midget Phyllonorycter stettinensis and Wax Moth Galleria mellonella.

Small Alder Midget Phyllonorycter stettinensis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd August


Wax Moth Galleria mellonella, North Elmham, 23rd August


Other decent micros included an impressive count of 7 Oak Bent-wings Bucculatrix ulmella, Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella and Sallow Marble Apotomis capreana.

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, North Elmham, 23rd August


Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella, North Elmham, 23rd August


Sallow Marble Apotomis capreana, North Elmham, 23rd August


A good selection of other micros again with Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Apple Leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 3 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, 2 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 12 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 2 Rusty-dot Pearls Udea ferrugalis, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, 2 Beautiful Plumes Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae (female, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd August


Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd August


Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, North Elmham, 23rd August


Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 23rd August


Among the macros there was another good count of 60 Straw Dots and the first autumn-generation Vine's Rustic.  Others were 3 Orange Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Large Emerald, 2 Blood-veins, Small Dusty Wave, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, 6 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, Purple Bar, 2 Green Carpets, Small Rivulet, Maple Pug, Currant Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, Treble-bar, Yellow-barred Brindle, 19 Brimstone Moths, 4 Canary-shouldered Thorns, 3 Dusky Thorns, 3 Willow Beauties, 2 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Dingy Footman, Common Footman, 16 Flame Shoulders, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, 8 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Square-spotted Clays, 9 Square-spot Rustics, Straw Underwing, Common Rustic, Burnished Brass and Snout.

Vine's Rustic, North Elmham, 23rd August


Other insects included the Green Lacewing Dichochrysa flavifrons and the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius lutescens (new for the house, though several more found later in the autumn).  Caddisflies included another Hydroptila sparsa.

Hemerobius lutescens, North Elmham, 23rd August


Bugs included the leafhopper Lamprotettix nitidulus, new for the house.  Check out the sad face on its scutellum...

Lamprotettix nitidulus, North Elmham, 23rd August


Also Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita and 2 Forest Bugs (Red-legged Shieldbugs).

No comments:

Post a Comment