The Whitlingham Bird Report for 2023 is now available to download from the Bird Reports page or from here

NORWICH: Mallota and a rare midget

Late June 2022

Towards the back end of the month Vanna Bartlett found a rare hoverly, Mallota cimbiciformis, around a rot hole in a tree in Earlham Cemetery, probably only the third Norfolk record. As it was a male there was a strong possibility it would be 'guarding' the rot hole, and this turned out to be the case as Vanna went back and saw it there the next day as well. I visited a couple of times, seeing nothing on the first occasion in windy conditions, but getting brief views the second time as it flew in, inspected the rot hole before disappearing up towards the canopy.

Whilst standing waiting near the chosen poplar tree I noticed a couple of leaf mines of the nationally scarce Winter Poplar Midget, Phyllonorycter comparella. This was only the second VC27 record (see https://www.norfolkmoths.co.uk/micros.php?bf=3650). Across the other side of the cemetery I found a tree with a large number of mines, so I took one home to rear through, and a few weeks later was pleased to see an adult moth had emerged.




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