Description


A diary of my mothing activity covering highlights and photos from my moth trapping activities. Mainly Norfolk (UK), occasionally beyond. I may mention other wildlife sightings here, especially insects, but for birds see my birding diary.

Monday, 1 March 2021

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Case-bearers (Coleophoridae) (Part 3)

CASE-BEARERS (COLEOPHORIDAE) continued


Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella - None.  I had 2 of these at home in 2018 but may have overlooked others as these are rather difficult to separate even with reference to the genitalia.


White Sallow Case-bearer Coleophora albidella - Caught in the garden on 13th and 19th June 2020.  2019 was my first blank year for what is usually my commonest white Coleophora.


male White Sallow Case-bearer Coleophora albidella, North Elmham, 19th June 2020



White Oak Case-bearer Coleophora kuehnella - None.  I've not recorded this species locally yet but it's quite widespread so must be a possibility.


Forest Case-bearer Coleophora ibipennella - An occupied case at the meadows on an Oak leaf on 6th June 2019.  I took this home and the adult emerged from it on 27th June.  Also 1-2 trapped at home, one on 17th July 2019 that I'm not going to record (I'd pretty confidently reached the ID but in trying to get the genitalia to lie flat I ended up damaging it such that I couldn't quite be 100% sure) and one on 24th July.  I've only recorded this species here once before (2016).  None in 2020.


occupied case of Forest Case-bearer Coleophora ibipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019



male Forest Case-bearer Coleophora ibipennella, 27th June 2019, emerged from case collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 6th June 2019



White Birch Case-bearer Coleophora betulella - One caught at home on 10th July 2019.  I first recorded this species here in 2018, and after failing to record albidella in 2019 I started to wonder if I may have misidentified this species as albidella in the past.  However with this in mind I took extra care in 2020 and only recorded albidella (and no betulella) then, so perhaps my fears were unfounded.  The differences in genitalia between some of these white Coleophora are pretty subtle to say the least.

male White Birch Case-bearer Coleophora betulella, North Elmham, 10th July 2019



Knapweed Case-bearer Coleophora conspicuella - None.  I've never caught this species, which isn't surprising as it had never been recorded in Norfolk until 2020.  Dave Norgate caught a large and distinctive Coleophora in his garden in Toftwood on 5th July and asked me to have a look at it.  I didn't recognise it at all but eventually figured out it was either vibicigerella, conspicuella or vibicella, none of which had been recorded in Norfolk before.  With a 21mm wingspan the size was within range for vibicella but far too big for the other two (max 17.5mm and 14mm according to the literature), however I wasn't convinced it was vibicella so agreed to gen det it.  It proved to be a female conspicuella, a species that was recorded in Suffolk for the first time in 2019 (as a larva, with an adult caught at the same location in 2020).  An absolute BEAST!






female Knapweed Case-bearer Coleophora conspicuella, caught by Dave Norgate at Toftwood (Dereham) on 5th July 2020



Downland Case-bearer Coleophora lixella - None.  I've caught this species here once, in 2015.


Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta - One in the garden trap on 25th May 2019 was a new moth for the garden, but followed by 2 more in 2020 (on 17th and 21st May).  Also on 21st May 2020, one caught at Hills and Holes.

female Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta, North Elmham, 25th May 2019


Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta, North Elmham, 17th May 2020


female Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020



Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella - None in 2019 but one caught in the garden on 12th June 2020 and another at Bintree Wood the following night.  I've caught this species here 3 times previously, in 2015 and 2017.


male Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, North Elmham, 12th June 2020


male Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020


Next page: more Coleophora

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