NORWICH: Some early October highlights

Early October 2022

More interesting things seen on my daily commute, including two new aphids, Aphis oenotherae on Evening Primrose and Aphis solanella on Black Nightshade. At Sainsburys on Queens Road there were several moths around one of the security lights, unfortunately nothing new but Large Ranunculus is always nice to see. Walking down towards Lakenham Way I found a Nigma walckenaeri spider hiding under a silk tent. There were also some interesting plants at Wensum Park on a dried-out bit of what is usually a flooded inlet, notably Marsh Yellow-cress, Bullwort and Cockspur Grass.

NORWICH: Royal Midget

Late September 2022

In July I had found Royal Midget (Phyllonorycter pastorella) leaf mines in the Norwich area for the first time. This species was only found in the UK for the first time in 2014, and in Norfolk in 2018. The mines that I found were typical, in being long with a single crease on long-leaved Salix sp. During September I started seeing similar mines in other places around Norwich, notably Whitlingham and Wensum Park. I wasn't completely convinced though, as these mines were a fairly normal Phyllonorycter size rather than the 'typical' extra long ones. I decided to collect an occupied mine from Wensum Park, and a few weeks later an adult emerged. It was indeed Phyllonorycter pastorella, a nice little moth with bushy hairs on the front of the head.

NORWICH: Some powdery mildew recording

Late September 2022

With fewer invertebrates being seen on my walks to and from work I decided to focus on powdery mildews, making an effort to check the mildews on different plants. Not all could be confirmed, but a selection included Arthrocladii mougeotii on Duke of Argyll's Teaplant, Erysiphe arcuata on Hornbeam, Erysiphe convolvuli on Bindweed, Golovinomyces chichoracearum on Prickly Lettuce, Neoerysiphe galeopsidis on Bear's Breeches and Podosphaera plantaginis on Ribwort Plantain.

NORWICH: Aphids on Walnut

Late September 2022

Earlier in the year I had seen Large Walnut Aphids, Panaphis juglandis, on the upperside of some Walnut leaves. There is however a second species, Small Walnut Aphid (Chromaphis juglandicola), which I hadn't found, until now. It really was tiny, so I might well have just overlooked them in the past. There was a bonus on the same tree, with my first alate (winged adult) Panaphis juglandis.

NORWICH: Fig-leaf Skeletonizer

Late September 2022

In 2021 a new moth was found in Norfolk, the Fig-leaf Skeletonizer, Choreutis nemorana. Since then I had been checking Fig trees around Norwich on the off chance that it would spread from the initial sightings on the east coast, but I hadn't had any luck. In mid-September Vanna Bartlett found some larvae on Fig in the cathedral grounds, so a few days later I went to check the biggest Fig tree I knew of in the city centre, and hurrah, I managed to find quite a few feeding signs on leaves and a larva building a silk cocoon. There are now a few more dots on the map, which you can see here: https://norfolkmoths.co.uk/micros.php?bf=3891&show=com