Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 5: Conches I (Phtheochroa to Aethes))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana - Singles in the garden on 1st August 2019 and 16th July 2020.  I usually (but not always) see more than this.

female Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 16th July 2020

Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana - One in the garden on 29th June and one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  It took me until 2016 to record this species anywhere but since then I've had 1-2 here each year - up until 2020 when there were none.


Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana - None.  I've not recorded this in my garden yet, and perhaps it's not all that likely as I think most records (all of mine at least) have been flying around bluebells in sunshine.


Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea - Singles in my garden trap on 17th and 23rd August 2019 and 15th August 2020.  Although I had 6 here in 2018 I'd only had 0-1 a year prior to that.

Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, North Elmham, 17th August 2019

Water-mint Conch Phalonidia manniana - None.  One in my garden in 2018 was my first here.


Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana - Recorded on 37 nights between 1st June and 17th August 2019 involving at least 100 individuals (not counted every night).  This was my best year here, about 50% better than average.  A more typical 57 between 11th June and 16th August 2020.  Also recorded next door, at the meadows on numerous occasions (including on the earlier/later dates of 25th May and 3rd September in 2019), and at Weybourne.


Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana - 5 in the garden trap between 6th July and 16th August 2019 was slightly short of 2018's total but more than usual.   2020 was exceptional with 19 here between 17th June and 12th August (including at least 5 of the brown form ferrugana).  Also found next door, at the meadows and at Thompson Common.

Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, North Elmham, 18th June 2020

Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Marbled Conch Eupoecilia angustana - 2 at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and one at home on 9th July.  The latter was only my second for the garden following one in 2016.  None in 2020.

Marbled Conch Eupoecilia angustana, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Marbled Conch Eupoecilia angustana, North Elmham, 9th July 2019

Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana - None in the garden in 2019 (for the second year running) but 4 in 2020 (3 between 21st and 25th May and one on 8th August).  I'd had 2 here in 2015 and again in 2017 but blank years every other year.  Elsewhere singles at the meadows on 22nd August 2019 and 17th May 2020.

Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, North Elmham, 25th May 2020

Downland Conch Aethes tesserana - 2 at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020.  I've never had this species locally but there are a few inland records so it's not out of the question.


Hemlock Conch Aethes beatricella - Singles in the garden trap on 29th June and 2nd July 2019, my second and third records here following one in 2017.  Also one at Weybourne on 5th July.  None in 2020.

Hemlock Conch Aethes beatricella, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

Hemlock Conch Aethes beatricella, North Elmham, 2nd July 2019

Long-barred Yellow Conch Aethes francillana - None.  I've never seen this species but although it's quite scarce there's no reason why I shouldn't find it locally.


Thistle Conch Aethes cnicana - None.  I've had one in the garden, in 2018.


Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana - Recorded in 2019 in the garden on 21st and 25th July, the meadows on 26th July and 4th August and next door on 7th August.  I've had 2-6 here each year since moving in until 2020 when I didn't catch any anywhere.

Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

Next page: more Tortricidae

Common by name, uncommon by nature (oehlmanniella)

This is the Garden Chafer I found in the garden on Friday 23rd May.

Garden Chafer, North Elmham, 23rd May

A few moths at Ryburgh included Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, 3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 2 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella and presumed Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet.  Beetles included Cantharis decipiens.

Back at home I found this small weevil in my study - it turned out to be Kalcapion pallipes.

Kalcapion pallipes, North Elmham, 23rd May

A Common Frog in the garden was my first here this year.  They sometimes sit round the moth trap, presumably in the hope of a tasty moth landing close by.  The highlight among the moths the frog didn't eat was a lifer, Common Bright Incurvaria oehlmanniella.  However it didn't increase my garden list as it took the place of a previous unidentified Incurvaria sp. which I had (in the light of this perhaps wrongly) presumed was likely to be Incurvaria masculella.  Despite oehlmanniella's common name, masculella is far commoner in my experience - just not in my garden.

Common Bright Incurvaria oehlmanniella, North Elmham, 23rd May

Several other moths were new for the year, namely Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Spruce Carpet, Common Wave, Buff Ermine, Marbled Minor and Buttoned Snout. The last of those was my second here following one in 2015; more surprisingly Spruce Carpet was also my first here since 2015.

Buttoned Snout, North Elmham, 23rd May

Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd May

Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, North Elmham, 23rd May

False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd May

Common Wave, North Elmham, 23rd May

Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd May

Other moths were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Chinese Character, Flame Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Garden Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, 7 Common Pugs, 6 Brimstone Moths, 3 Waved Umbers, 2 White-pinion Spotteds, Light Emerald, Eyed Hawk-moth, Coxcomb Prominent, Pale Prominent, Orange Footman, 8 White Ermines, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Shears, Brown Rustic and 4 Treble Lines.

Orange Footman, North Elmham, 23rd May

Shears, North Elmham, 23rd May

There was only one caddisfly in the trap but it was a new one for the house: Plectrocnemia conspersa.

Plectrocnemia conspersa (male), North Elmham, 23rd May

A Procloeon bifidum (type of Mayfly) was new for the year.

Procloeon bifidum, North Elmham, 23rd May

Dark Sword-grass

On Friday night Dave and I set up at Beetley Common, a site close to home that we thought had good potential.  We had a reasonable variety of moths coming to light but I found the best moth as I walked back to the car to get something.  A large moth flew across the path in front of me and duly arrived in my net where I recognised it as a Dark Sword-grass.  I don't see this migrant species very often and it was Dave's first ever.  Not the prettiest moth perhaps but distinctive and interesting for being my first migrant moth of the year.

 Dark Sword-grass, Beetley Common, 15th May

By far the most numerous insect (with the possible exception of tiny flies that we didn't identify) was Cockchafer.  These were becoming quite a nuisance so we potted them up to keep them at bay until we left - around 30 in total.

The other moths were 2 Common Oak Purples Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, Scalloped Hook-tip, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, 4 Brindled Pugs, Brown Silver-line, 3 Brimstone Moths, 2 Waved Umbers, 2 White-pinion Spotteds, Pale Prominent, 2 Pale Tussocks, 3 Orange Footmen, 3 Least Black Arches, Bright-line Brown-eye, Hebrew Character, Treble Lines and 2 Nut-tree Tussocks.

Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Beetley Common, 15th May

Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, Beetley Common, 15th May

Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, Beetley Common, 15th May

Orange Footman, Beetley Common, 15th May

Green Carpet, Beetley Common, 15th May

White-pinion Spotted, Beetley Common, 15th May

Birch Ermel Swammerdamia caesiella, Beetley Common, 15th May

 
Not 100% sure about the identity of this bug, but I think it may be Thamnotettix dilutior.

possible Thamnotettix dilutior, Beetley Common, 15th May

 
This is one Mayfly - genus Caenis but apparently you need to dissect them to get a species ID.

Caenis sp., Beetley Common, 15th May

 
Earlier in the evening I'd popped to the patch where at Hell Pit I found a Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella on the car and netted a Chinese Character.

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella (male, gen det), Hell Pit, Bittering, 15th May

 
At home Green Carpet, 2 Scalloped Hazels, Buff-tip, Treble Lines and Pale Mottled Willow were all new for the year, at least for the house.

Pale Mottled Willow, Norh Elmham, 15th May

Treble Lines, Norh Elmham, 15th May

 
Others were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Flame Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Poplar Hawkmoths, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, Least Black Arches, Flame Shoulder, Lychnis, 2 Hebrew Characters and Spectacle.

Pale Prominent, Norh Elmham, 15th May

Poplar Hawkmoth, Norh Elmham, 15th May

 
Anyone out there any good on caddisflies?  This one was huge but I can't find the species.

unidentified Caddisfly, Norh Elmham, 15th May