The past two weeks we have been away on holiday. The first week was to a nice house beside Salthouse Church in Norfolk, then the second week was to a small 400 yr old house in Westleton, Suffolk. When I am away I am always on the look out for new species, no matter what they are, be it birds, butterflies, moths or anything really. Unlike these expert 'Pan species' Listers who can identify 400 species of invertebrate in an afternoon, I am much slower and tend to focus on things that are at least a bit distinctive, that give me a chance of an id without a microscope.
So when going to East Anglia, the moth trap is a must have, especially in summer where there are loads of species we dont get up here. Over the fortnight new things arrived almost daily so I will list them witha photo in chronological order....
#1. 9th June - Alder Kitten Furcula bicuspis.
This moth has never occurred in Northumberland. Even the two species of kitten that have occurred are rare in my garden, so rare that Ive never seen Poplar Kitten either, but I do get an occasional Sallow Kitten. Alder is the easiest to identify being darker that the other two. Well pleased to get this.
#2 10th June. Crested Cow Wheat Melampyrum cristatum
Luck helps. I saw a post by Rob Yaxley on Bluesky saying he had shown this rare and declining plant to some friends recently, so I asked him for the location and he kindly obliged. Nice one.
#3 10th June Satin Wave Idaea subsericeata
Not recorded in Northumberland since 1920 and there are only 2 records, the other being 1908. Chances of getting this at home are slim.
#4 11th June a Planthopper Issus coleoptratus
No idea. Out with Peggy and it was on a leaf so I took its photo to id later. A new species!
#5 11th June Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum.
Sorry about the photo, I couldn't get close enough. A black and yellow hoverfly that does occur in Northum,berland, just that I've never seen it.
#6 Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis
My mate John gets these in his garden about 5 miles from me, but they are still scarce in the county. Pleased to finally catch up with one.
#7 12th June Alabonia geoffrella 'Geoff'!
Been hoping to meet 'Geoff' for ever but only recently discovered it can be found in Norfolk. I was right at the end of its flight season so only found the one, a bit worn with age, but very acceptable. Not found in Northumberland.
#8 12th June Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula
Not on the radar. Only when Mark Golley was showing me a site for Geoff did he mention that Scarlet Tiger was just emerging in Cley. We found half a dozen of these stunners. Only found in the south of England.
#10 12th June Small China Mark Cataclysta lemnata
I wasnt sure if this was new or not at the time, on checking these were my first. Two caught.
#11 12th June Rosy Wave Scopula emutaria
The day before catching this I had been thumbing the guide and looked at Rosy Wave and thought it looked quite distinctive. Never expected to see one as soon.
#12 12th June Aethes beatricella
Its surprising this was new as I caught loads of them on this trip. Maybe they have increased recently?
#13 12th June Flecked General Soldier Fly Stratiomys singularia
Landed beside me as I sat in the Salthouse garden.
#14 14th June Orange Moth Agerona prunaria
Our first night in Suffolk. Certainly didn't expect to see Orange Moth. I always thought of it as a species of mature woodland in Kent! It wouldnt sit for a photo hence the pot shot.
#15 14th June Pine Hawk-moth Sphinx pinastri
At last, one of my targets for this holiday. We caught 3 or 4 over the week. A nice big moth...
#16 14th June The Lackey Malacosoma neustria
Unexpected but quite common most nights in Suffolk. This one is a male.
#17 14th June Dicrorampha petiverella
I hope this one is right?
#18 14th June Valerian Pug Eupithecia valerianata
Had two of these. Didn't realise how scarce they were, but apparently this is the moth of the trip!
#19 15th June Yellow Oak Tortrix Aleimma loeflingiana
This moth occurs scarcely in the south of Northumberland but is much rarer where I live with only 3 records in VC68 North Northumberland, so it was good to get a few of these in East Anglia.
#20 15th June Dwarf Cream Wave Idaea fuscovenosa
Only 9 Northumberland records of this diminutive wave, the last being 18 years ago. Nice to get a fresh one here
#21 16th June Four Spotted Footman Lithosia quadra
Only 3 of these in Northumberland where it is a very rare migrant. Down south this has been a good year for them, also probably migrants.
#22 17th June Hedya salicella
Another rare one at home with only 10 county records.
#23 17th June Monochroa palustrellus
#24 18th June Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus
This bright bug is at the northern most edge of its European range in the south of England. This particular one was running fast along a grass verge so I was lucky to get any photos at all!
#25 18th June Spotted Medick Medicago aribica
If a species ever shows the need to be alert at all times this one is it for me. We were having lunch at the Eels Foot Inn, Eastbridge when I looked at the ground where we sat. In a scuffed up path area, this was crushed below... rare in Northumberland.
#26 19th June Large Marsh Horsefly Tabanus autumnalis
This large bitey Cleg was on our garden furniture at the Suffolk House. About an inch long it was a stunner. I like these dangerous critters same was as deadly plants and fungi in that we are just a meal to them... hard as nails.
So 26 new species without too much difficulty. We are off to Deeside in the autumn so you never know there might be something to find up there too...
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