Scabious Marble Rhopobota stagnana
Formerly given the vernacular name Downland Bell.
A Nationally Scarce species that in Norfolk is pretty much only found in the Brecks (one record from Gayton). Often with strongly-banded forewings, but plainer examples also occur, as here. The textbooks say it flies in two generations, April to June and August to September, however the majority of recent Norfolk records were, like this one, in July.
The species wasn't one I was expecting to see here and I wasn't even aware how plain the species could be, so I didn't even suspect the correct ID before dissecting it. I thought it looked a bit like one of the Dichrorampha, though it didn't easily fit any particular species so I potted it up to examine later.
, North Elmham, 10-Jul-23 (A) (1).jpg)
, North Elmham, 10-Jul-23 (A) (2).jpg)
, North Elmham, 10-Jul-23 (A) (3).jpg)
male Scabious Marble Rhopobota stagnana showing genitalia, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 10th July 2023