New Pine Knot-horn and other moths

Buff-tip, Phalera bucephala

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

During the week 17 to 23 June we've had 29 species of moths on the balcony: Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown House Moth, Buff-tip, Clouded Border, Codling Moth, Common Pug, Common Wainscot, Dark Arches, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer, Elder Pearl, Garden Carpet, Garden Grass-veneer, Heart and Dart (too many!), L-album Wainscot, Lime-speck Pug, New Pine Knot-horn (a new one), Pine Marble, Plum Tortrix, Poplar Grey, Riband Wave, Small Grey, Small Magpie, The Uncertain, Twin-barred Knot-horn, Vine's Rustic, White Satin, Willow Beauty. Plus a Cinnamon Sedge caddisfly.

  Yesterday the car park was full and the beach was packed from what we could see from the balcony - doesn't look good for the future.

Bright-line Brown-eye, Lacanobia oleracea 

Brown House Moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella 

Buff Ermine, Spilosoma luteum 

Cinnamon Sedge caddisfly, Limnephilus marmoratus 

Clouded Border, Lomaspilis marginata

Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella

Common Pug, Eupithecia vulgata

Common Wainscot, Mythimna pallens 

Dark Arches, Apamea monoglypha

Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella

Elder Pearl, Phlyctaenia coronata 

Garden Carpet, Xanthorhoe fluctuata 

Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella

Heart and Dart, Agrotis exclamationis

L-album Wainscot, Mythimna l-album

Lime-speck Pug, Eupithecia centaureata 

New Pine Knot-horn, Dioryctria sylvestrella 

Olive Pearl, Udea olivalis 

Pine Marble, Piniphila bifasciana 

Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruniana 

Poplar Grey, Subacronicta megacephala 

Riband Wave, Idaea aversata

Riband Wave, Idaea aversata ab remutata

Small Grey, Eudonia mercurella 

Small Magpie, Anania hortulata 

Twin-barred Knot-horn, Homoeosoma sinuella

The Uncertain, Hoplodrina octogenaria 

White Satin, Leucoma salicis 

Willow Beauty, Peribatodes rhomboidaria 

Cloaked Shoot and Marbled Bell

Common Cloaked Shoot, Gypsonoma dealbana

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

I have found many moths at Rewell  Wood the past 2 days: Coleophora species, Common Cloaked Shoot, Common Marble, Hoary Bell, Inlaid Grass-veneer, Common Nettle-tap, European Corn Borer, Long-winged Pearl, Marbled Bell and a Yellow Oak Button. Plenty of butterflies seen: Red Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Large Skippers, Comma.

The Caloptilia species from 3 days ago was narrowed down by an expert to 2 species, one of which requires Alder as its foodplant, the other requires Birch. There is a large stand of birch where I found it but no Alder, so the conclusion is that the moth is a Red Birch Slender.

note added 16 November, 2020: the Coleophora species was dissected by Tim Wilton and determined by examination of the genitalia to be a male Tipped Oak Case-bearer, Coleophora flavipennella.

unidentified beetle

Tipped Oak Case-bearer male, Coleophora flavipennella

genitalia of Coleophora flavipennella

Common Marble, Celypha lacunana

Deer Tick female, Ixodes scapularis

Enchanter's Nightshade, Circaea lutetiana 

Green Lacewing, Chrysopa perla 

Hazel Leaf-roller Weevil, Apoderus coryli 

Hoary Bell, Eucosma cana 

Inlaid Grass-veneer, Crambus pascuella 

Large Skipper male, Ochlodes sylvanus

unidentified moth

Musk Mallow, Malva moschata

Red Bug, Deraeocoris ruber

Red Bug, Deraeocoris ruber

Yellow Dung Fly, Scathophaga stercoraria 

Common Nettle-tap, Anthophila fabriciana 

European Corn Borer, Ostrinia nubilalis

Yellow Oak Button, Aleimma loeflingiana

Large Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus

Long-winged Pearl, Anania lancealis

Marbled Bell, Eucosma campoliliana 

Marbled Bell, Eucosma campoliliana 

Red Birch Slender, Caloptilia betulicola

Red Birch Slender, Caloptilia betulicola 

Marbled Bell and a Caloptilia micromoth

Marbled Bell, Eucosma campoliliana

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday Rewell Wood gave me two new micromoths for my Sussex gallery. One was easy to identify as a Marbled Bell as I had found one on the coast in Northumberland in 2015. The other is proving harder as there are 4 similar species in the genus Caloptilia. An expert has narrowed it down to two after viewing my photos: C. betulicola or C. elongella.
note added 25 June: C. elongella requires Alder as its foodplant, C. betulicola requires Birch. There is a large stand of birch where I found it but no Alder, so the conclusion is that the moth is a Red Birch Slender.
Butterflies seen: Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Comma. moths: Light Emerald, Common Yellow Conches, Red Piercer, Small Magpies. The buddleia are coming into flower and will hopefully attract the butterflies like Red Admiral, Painted Lady etc. Plenty of Hymenoptera around, many were drowned in the 'leaf ponds' of the teasels, together with Yellow Conches. The base of the leaves of the teasel are joined to form a water catchment round the stem. These drowned insects and may benefit the plant with nutrients. I watched a Two-girdled Digger Wasp flapping its wings rapidly which enabled it to climb out of the water with much effort. It then dried itself on the tip of the leaf.

Buddleia, Buddleia davidii

Red Birch Slender, Caloptilia betulicola (about 1 cm long)

Red Birch Slender, Caloptilia betulicola

Common Yellow Conch, Agapeta hamana

leaf beetle

Light Emerald, Campaea margaritaria 

Marbled Bell, Eucosma campoliliana

Mullein, Verbascum thapsus 

Mullein, Verbascum thapsus 

Red Piercer, Lathronympha strigana 

Ringlet, Aphantopus hyperantus 

Small Magpie, Anania hortulata 

Stiltbug, Metatropis rufescens

Figwort Sawfly, Tenthredo scrophulariae

Two-girdled Digger Wasp, Argogorytes mystaceus in teasel pond

Two-girdled Digger Wasp climbing out

Two-girdled Digger Wasp drying off

Two-girdled Digger Wasp

Two-girdled Digger Wasp drying off