276. [A sawfly] Blennocampa phyllocolpa - a tiny sawfly that has proved to be common in the garden. It lays its eggs on garden roses, and the leaves roll round into tight tubes to protect the larvae after they hatch.
Saturday 18th April 2020
277. Grey-patched Mining Bee Andrena nitida - one found inside, quite a large solitary bee with a rufous thorax contrasting with a blackish abdomen. The grey patches aren't quite so obvious.
Sunday 19th April 2020
278. Whitethroat Sylvia communis - another common summer visitor to the village, several sing on the common each year just across the road. Relatively infrequent in the garden itself.
279. White-headed Dwarf Elachista albifrontella - a micro-moth, found on the window, and I've seen it previously on the common too.
280. Small White Pieris rapae - common butterfly most years
281. Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urtica - another common butterfly, although numbers vary greatly between years.
282. Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua fimbriata - a common moth in the garden trap each year but this record is of the caterpillar, found on soil where we were digging our pond and identified using the newly available field guide (and kindly confirmed by Richard Lewington also!)
Monday 20th April 2020
283. Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor - not strictly garden tickable yet, as we spread seeds here last year from a local meadow. Excited today to find 24 small plants. We're very keen that they establish because they will then help to keep the coarser grasses down.
284. Yellow-shouldered Nomad Bee Nomada ferruginata - a couple of males were netted and examined closely.
285. [A hoverfly] Melanostoma mellinum - very common hoverfly
286. Feathered Leaf-cutter Incurvaria masculella - a very widespread small moth, caterpillars of which feed on rose and hawthorn.
Tuesday 21st April 2020
287. Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera - the first tiny nymphs of the year were seen in the garden today. These will continue to grow until adult by mid-July, then will call through until the first frosts of autumn.
288. Frosted Green Polyploca ridens - a regular moth in April and May, although usually in only small numbers. An oak feeder.
289. Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula - common moth
290. Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta - a very common moth through much of the summer
291. The Nutmeg Dicestra trifolii - another common moth in the garden trap.
Wednesday 22nd April 2020
292. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca - another regular summer visitor, always arriving on Shotesham Common about this date.
293. [A sawfly] Aglaostigma fulvipes - appears to be a widespread sawfly, feeding on Cleavers which is abundant in the garden.
294. [A sawfly] Hoplocampa pectoralis - small sawfly, mostly yellow with some black. Feeds on hawthorn, and netted by this shrub along the drive.
295. Green Furrow Bee Lasioglossum morio - a widespread small bee with a shiny green sheen
296. Large White Pieris brassicae - last of the common white butterflies to appear in the garden this year.
Thursday 23rd April 2020
297. Nut-tree Tussock Colocasia coryli - two in the moth-trap tonight
298. Pale Prominent Pterostoma palpina - always such a stunning moth, will be coming off the willows here
299. Pebble Prominent Notodonta ziczac - another of the attractive prominents.
Friday 24th April 2020
300. Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula - several netted in the front garden, always the first dragonfly of the year.
301. Painted Nomad Bee Nomada fucata - another of these small wasp-like bees
302. [A sawfly] Halidamia affinis - fairly distinctive sawfly, black above (including dusky wings) and yellow under the abdomen. Another one that feeds on Cleavers.
Saturday 25 April 2020
303. [A hoverfly] Myathropa florea - one appeared by our newly filled pond and appeared to be egg-laying immediately
304. Brassica Shieldbug Eurydema oleracea - striking bug found on the Garlic Mustard
305. Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee Bombus vestalis - huge female bee
306. Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta - another common moth in the light trap.
Sunday 26 April 2020
307. Red Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe spadicearia - no moth-trap on tonight, but found one at the window nonetheless.
