Dave Appleton

@applewildlife.bsky.social

1814 Followers 491 Following

Interested in pretty much any wildlife, especially birds, moths and a host of other insect groups. Norfolk county recorder for lacewings and allied insects. Based in North Elmham, Norfolk, UK.

Dorsal view of Promalactis procerella (Beautiful Silver-mark). A stunning little bright orange moth with three black-edged shining silvery-white narrow bands across the wings. Dark marks towards the apex reflected blue-purple tones.
A tiny leaf beetle belonging to a group of beetles known as flea beetles (note the thick hind femora which are used for jumping). It is black and red, the red parts being the head and thorax and the bases of the antennae. I haven't keyed it out yet but I'm pretty sure it's Podagrica fuscipes which is a distinctive species I've only encountered once before. #UKbeetles
Panorpa cognata, sometimes known as Scarce Scorpionfly. Clues to its identity include, in combination, the brown centre to the thorax (usually yellow on the other UK species), dark patch at the tip of the wings not fully extending right to the edge of the wing, dark bar across wing much broader in the outer half of the wing than the inner half, and only small dark spots in the base of the wing. However for certain identification it is really necessary to dissect out the genital plate. This is by far the scarcest of our three scorpionflies - I have only found two (including this one) compared to 55 communis and 89 germanica.
A Giant Lacewing (Osmylus fulvicephalus) resting at the top of the vertical side of a bridge over a stream and under a road. The lacewing has slightly hooked wings with dark spots along the costa and (less obviously in this photo) along the dorsal edge in the basal half. The head is red and the body is mostly dark. This is a big lacewing, though “Giant” is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. It was quite a low bridge meaning I had to stoop quite low to reach it. It was quite dark under the bridge and I couldn’t get the camera to focus on it without using the torch of my phone. It was a challenge holding the phone torch in one hand and the camera in the other while bending lower than I was comfortable with and trying to avoid falling in the water or dropping either phone or camera in. The species was found at East Bilney twice in 1963 and looked for since with no success (though I am not convinced it might not still be present in the area and as it’s local to me I will continue searching). It was then found by sweeping at East Carleton Carrs in 2022 by a visiting dipterist who, not realising the significance of the record in Norfolk, did not take a specimen or any photos. By all accounts the finder was a reliable and experienced entomologist familiar with this species from elsewhere, so I was happy to accept the record on his say-so, but very happy to follow it up with some photographic evidence today.
Cosmopterix scribaiella (Reed Beauty). A very elongated moth with a red eye and long palps curved up and back. The wings are mostly dark brown but there’s a broad orange band crossing them at about two thirds of the way along. This orange band is bordered both sides by thin bands of shiny silvery-white scales. The orange spoils through the rear silver band (which is characteristic of this species) and continues in a line until it meets a fine white line that carries on to the apex. There are also several fine silvery-white lines through the base of the wings.
Graph showing annual number of records and individuals of Dot Moth in my mid Norfolk garden from 2015 to 2025. Figures are: 2015 - 13 records (27 individuals) 2016 - 21 records (28 individuals) 2017 - 2 records (3 individuals) 2018 - 13 records (14 individuals) 2019 - 1 record (1 individual) 2020- 1 record (1 individual) 2021 - 0 records (0 individuals) 2022 - 4 records (4 individuals) 2023 - 1 record (1 individual) 2024 - 2 records (2 individuals) 2025 - 2 records (2 individuals)
Coleophora siccifolia, Keeled case-bearer. A fairly nondescript greyish-brown Coleophora with ringed antennae.
Willughby’s Leafcutter Bee on my shed. A buffish bee with narrow pale bands of hairs on the abdomen and an orange pollen brush under the abdomen.
Pronotum of the Brachyarthrum limitatum
A dark blackish-brown mirid bug with orange legs, orange base to the cuneus and orange base to the wings. It is 4.6mm long. The species is associated with Aspen and there's one of those growing about 50m away. My ID process was complicated by AI getting it wrong and a couple of photos online (which I suspect the AI had used in its training) which I eventually worked out must also be Brachyarthrum limitatum but are identified and labelled as Orthonotus rufifrons. Although males of the latter are superficially similar, after examining lots of images of both species I think I found a number of differences that seem consistent. These include leg colour, cuneus colour, colour at the base of the wings and perhaps most obviously the colour of the third antennal segment (pale, strongly contrasting with the second on Orthonotus rufifrons and dark, only slightly paler than the second on Brachyarthrum limitatum).
Aneugmenus fuerstenbergensis dorsal view. Like most Aneugmenus, a predominantly black sawfly with yellow legs.
A mating pair of Clepsis dumincolana (Banded Ivy Tortrix) on ivy
Two white moths with black markings: a White Ermine with black spots and Puss Moth with an intricate pattern of black lines. The White Ermine isn’t exactly a small moth but here it’s dwarfed by the much larger Puss Moth.
Celypa rosaecolana - a confirmed male (gen det). This individual appeared to lack any pink tones but on close inspection did have a few pink scales along the costa and on the head.
Lime Hawk-moth. This individual is form brunnea with reddish-brown cross-band and orangey-brown tones elsewhere. The more typical form has more olive-green hues with a dark khaki cross-band.
A squashed and dried-out cockroach attached to a banana skin. The wings are damaged and mostly detached from the body. The abdomen is also damaged. The pronotum remains intact. It's about 2cm long and pale yellowish brown which I understand Green Banana Cockroaches are after death (if not before, but they usually look brighter and greener when alive). My ID is based primarily on Google, so please correct me if I'm wrong...
Side view of the male Xanthostigma xanthostigma (sometimes called Small Snakefly). The reddish reflections at the rear of the snakefly come from my camera and are not a feature of the snakefly!
Graph showing numbers of Scalloped Hazels recorded in my mid Norfolk garden from 2015 to 2025: 2015 - 7 individuals (5 records) 2016 - 8 individuals (8 records) 2017 - 9 individuals (7 records) 2018 - 7 individuals (5 records) 2019 - 9 individuals (6 records) 2020 - 5 individuals (4 records) 2021 - 3 individuals (3 records) 2022 - 9 individuals (7 records) 2023 - 2 individuals (2 records) 2024 - 1 individual 2025 - none Trapping more-or-less every night every year.
Chinese Water #Deer showing off his tusk
Dorsal view of the Southern Pill Woodlouse. A large and uniformly blackish woodlouse.
A male Cryptic Fern on the side of the moth trap. The lack of a discal spot and the clear dark line at the apex of the forewings provided a strong clue that this would be Cryptic Fern not just a Fern, and dissection of the genitalia confirmed this.
Shining Oak Tortrix (Pammene splendidulana), side view. A small grey-brown moth covered in pale vermiculations, stronger towards the apex of the wing. Through these are a number of curved fascia that appear grey in the photo but are reflective and silvery in life. There is a large black discal spot and two smaller black subterminal spots. #NorfolkMoths
Green-socks Peacock, a ground beetle that likes bare muddy banks. Here, in a photo taken with a normal camera, the beetle strikingly patterned but not very brightly coloured. The 'peacock' spots on the wing cases are evident but the beetle appears bronzy brown in colour. #UKBeetles
Marsh Tit on a branch. Still common round here, but for how long?
Hylastes ater, a relatively common species I believe. An elongated dark #beetle with mahogany-toned wing cases.
Brachypera zoilus, a brown broad-nosed weevil.
Phyllobius argentatus (Silver-green Leaf Weevil) on Bluebell #UKInverts
Barynotus moerens, a chunky brown weevil that seems to be quite scarce.
Euophryum confines: a long narrow beetle with a longish rostrum and elbowed antennae. It is dark brown with blackish foreparts.
Rhinoncus pericarpius, a small brown weevil with a prominent pale patch at the base of the sutural intervals.
Furcipus rectirostris, a small orangey-brown weevil associated with Bird Cherry.
Apion frumentarium - an almost completely scarlet weevil.
Lasiorhynchites cavifrons, a beautiful hairy beetle I found underneath an Oak tree. At a glance it looks black but it has a strong blue metallic colouration, although in the photos this has come out looking more green than blue (the specimen is very definitely blue, hardly green at all). A Nationally Scarce species apparently. #beetle
Cassida viridis, a lovely green tortoise beetle. As with other tortoise beetles the head is hidden beneath the pronotum so the whole beetle has a broadly oval outline. The orange legs and orange and black antennae are visible here as they protrude beyond the beetle’s outline, though these are often retracted.
Male Snow Flea on a dead leaf among moss on a tree stump. A tiny insect related to scorpionflies rather than fleas, with a downward-pointing beak like scorpionflies, but with short spine-like modified wings.
Pogonus littoralis (Wrinkled Driftliner) on the edge of an eggbox in my moth trap. It’s a dark Carabid #beetle with a metallic green sheen mainly evident along the edges of the elytra (wing cases). #UKBeetle
A photo of Graeme Lyon’s newly-published book Pan-Species Listing - How to Become a Super-Naturalist (published by @pelagicpublishing). The front cover shows a diversity of species from different groups, the artwork by Rachel Hudson (@rachelhillustrates).
The finest-tipped pipette I can find, at least for an affordable price. But the outside diameter of the tip is 0.8mm which is too big to fit inside a moth’s aedeagus.
Female Chrysoperla carnea (probably) or Chrsyoperla pallida (possibly, but very much less likely). These are green lacewings that turn brown in winter. This one isn’t fully brief but the green colour is dull and there are brown patches on the tergites (along the top of the abdomen).
A Woodcock alula feather inserted between a pair of lollipop sticks, incredibly useful for cleaning macerated moth genitalia for identification purposes.
Dorsal view of Orchesia micans, found in my house in July. A dark reddish brown beetle getting greatly darker towards the front. It has a smooth outline, long hind tibia and shallowly clubbed antennae. #beetle #Coleoptera
Eastern Black Redstart in a tree Facing right showing grey upperparts, black breast, orange underside and rufous tail
A bowl of Frosties breakfast cereal with Baileys poured over it. Highly recommended for dessert.
Sparrowhawk head facing right
Chart showing the number of Common Earwigs recorded in my garden (almost entirely at light) by year. The chart shows a peak of 37 in 2019 but no more than 6 in the last 4 years.
A juvenile Little Stint at Titchwell in August. A small brown wader facing right. The wing feathers and scapulars are neatly fringed and the mantle feather has a pair of white 'tramlines'. #NorfolkBirding
A Grey Heron is standing in water with a dead Redshank hanging from its beak. By coincidence, a Sparrowhawk is flying low over the water and is directly behind the heron and the redshank in this shot. I'd been watching the heron with the redshank for several minutes. I think the redshank was possibly dead before I saw them so I don't know if the heron killed it or not. The heron kept dunking the redshank, shaking it a bit and then dropping it back in the water, leaving it briefly before going back and repeating. In the end it walked away and I don't think it ended up eating it.
Presumed Callitula pyrrhogaster, a tiny wasp with a shiny red gaster and very dark (almost black) green strongly sculptured head and thorax. The legs and antennae are orange. #UKinvert #wasp
Brown Shrike at Porthgwarra on 20th October 2025.
Face of one of the Ivy Waspgrabbers (Leopoldius signatus) showing fully yellow below the antennae except for a narrow dark line along the central keel #UKFlies #Diptera
Male Leopoldius signatus (Ivy Waspgrabber), dorsal view, a distinctive yellow and black fly that is believed to attack wasps.
A clutser of Harlequin #Ladybirds resting between the vent and the ceiling above my kitchen window. The ladybirds show a mixture of colour forms, mostly orange with black spots (some larger spots than others, some with few or faint spots). A few are black forms with two or four red spots. #hibernation
Deleaster dichrous, a smallish rove beetle, as I found it on an eggbox in my moth trap.
Diasemiopsis ramburialis (Migrant Sable) taken from the side showing how it sometimes stands with the front of its body raised. The wings are brown with irregular white barring. #MigrantMoths
Smooth Newt: dorsal view on a white background #Amphibia
The recently-published Neuropteroids of Europe in my hand, showing the front cover. The superorder Neuroptida includes lacewings, alderflies and snakeflies, and scorpioflies are often treated together with these, but I feel it was a mistake to try and include caddisflies and stoneflies in addition. The book is smaller than I imagined, making it even harder to squeeze in a useful amount of detail. Priced at between £75 and £80 (depending on seller) it's a lot of money for a book that doesn't contain enough detail to allow reliable identification of the majority of species. It does however contain some good stuff. There is information that's not readily available elsewhere and I think the list of references will be very helpful for knowing where to go to find out more. Worth having if you have a special interest in the groups covered, but I don't agree with the advertising: "A true field guide, this book on neuropteroids of Europe is aimed at both beginner entomologists and professionals". If it is aimed at beginners and professionals I fear it won't hit the mark for either. It will be disappointing if you are a beginner hoping to find nice descriptions and pictures of the commoner/more distinctive species (for example most of the photos of green lacewings are pinned specimens that like they have brown bodies and white wings, too small to see any detail) and it will be disappointing if you are a professional hoping to identify tricky species (e.g. only 7 out of 49 species of waxfly mentioned and none with enough information to identify them). It does seem to be better for a few of the most eye-catching groups, for example all 12 species of Libelloides (a genus of owlflies) are covered with sufficient detail to enable identification in most cases.
Wasp Nest Beetle (Metoecus paradoxus) from my garden moth trap (North Elmham, VC28). A reddish brown beetle with a distinctive shape tapering to a point at the rear. The black antennae are feathery and the black legs very long.
A Ruby Tiger. Not one of the four I caught here last night, but one photographed a few years ago. A reddish-coloured moth with some dark spots on the forewings. You can just see the brigher red abodomen poking out between the wings. #TeamMoth #NorfolkMoths
The mayfly Heptagenia sulphurea (Common Yellow Dun). This was taken when I found it, freshly-arrived in the evening, and the eyes are black. When adults first emerge as sub-imago they have black eyes but judging from the various photos of sub-imagos with blue eyes, they often (usually?) turn blue before they complete their moult to imago. But this is an imago (the wing membrane is clear, except the yellow leading edge), so do they sometimes complete their moult before their eyes change colour, or do they turn black again when they moult to imago? I'm guessing the former is more likely but would love to know. A bright yellow #mayfly with two tails. #riverfly