Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Case-bearers (Coleophoridae) (Part 5)

CASE-BEARERS (COLEOPHORIDAE) continued


Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella - Singles trapped in the garden on 29th June and 9th July 2019 and 30th July 2020.  Previously I've had one in 2015 and 3 in 2017.  This species appears to be increasing in Norfolk with all but one of the records in the last decade.

female Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

male Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

Mugwort Case-bearer Coleophora artemisicolella - A completely new moth for me, trapped at home on 18th July 2019 and then netted at dusk at Titchwell on 21st July.  None in 2020.

male Mugwort Case-bearer Coleophora artemisicolella, North Elmham, 18th July 2019

Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi - One caught in the garden on 24th June 2019 but none in 2020.  Not quite annual but this species averages just over one per year here.

male Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella - 3 in the garden between 18th May and 17th June 2020 but none here in 2019.  I have averaged 3 a year here since 2015 and 2019 was my first blank year.  Elsewhere one caught at the meadows in 2019 and 3 in 2020 (including my latest ever on 7th August).  Although I wouldn't go as far as calling this species distinctive, many are sufficiently unlike any other common species that you can make a pretty good educated guess that you're dealing with this species before confirming with gen det.

female Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

male Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, North Elmham, 17th June 2020

male Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Ochreous Case-bearer Coleophora solitariella - None.  I caught one of these at home in 2016 but I think that's the only modern record of an adult in Norfolk so perhaps I shouldn't expect another very soon.


Yarrow Case-bearer Coleophora argentula - One caught in the garden on 23rd July 2020.  I caught 4 here between 2015 and 2017 but none in 2018 or 2019.  2 larval cases on Yarrow at the meadows on 30th August 2020.

male Yarrow Case-bearer Coleophora argentula, North Elmham, 23rd July 2020

larval case of Yarrow Case-bearer Coleophora argentula, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th August 2020

Agrimony Case-bearer Coleophora folicularis - None.  Despite having 3 confirmed records from Bawdeswell I've only caught one of these here, in 2018.


Dusted Case-bearer Coleophora adspersella - One at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020, only the 8th record for Norfolk and the first since 2017.  I've never caught this species here in North Elmham but I had one at Bawdeswell shortly before moving here in 2014.

male Dusted Case-bearer Coleophora adspersella, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora paripennella - Singles caught in my garden on 24th June 2019 and 17th July 2020, my third and fourth (previous ones here in 2015 and 2016).

male Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

male Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella - None in 2019, my first blank year since 2015, but to make up for it 5 between 16th July and 7th August 2020.  I caught a total of 6 here over the previous 3 years.

Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella, North Elmham, 16th July 2020

Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

Glasswort Case-bearer Coleophora salicorniae - None.  With this being a saltmarsh species it's not one I'm especially likely to find locally, but it does sometimes wander inland so there's a chance.  I may have missed my best chance though as there were several in 2020.


Next page: Elachistidae

A new bug and several new moths and bugs for the year

I think of Ashy Button Acleris sparsana as being a late autumn species so it was a surprise to find one in my moth trap on 16th August.  But although they peak in October it's actually quite normal for the first ones to fly in August.  It was my earliest though, albeit only by a week or so.

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, North Elmham, 16th August

Otherwise it wasn't a very eventful night with 63 moths of 24 species.  The others were Common Oak Pigmy Stigmella roborella, Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 18 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 4 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Single-dotted Wave, Double-striped Pug, 3 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Swallow Prominents, 3 Flame Shoulders, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Six-striped Rustic, Common Rustic, 13 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic and Straw Dot.

The following night was a bit better, with Figure of Eighty new for the year - my only one last year as it turned out (I average one a year here).

Figure of Eighty, North Elmham, 17th August

My third and final Butterbur of the year was good.  I had 3 in 2016 too but those 6 are the only ones I've ever seen anywhere.  Indeed they're a pretty scarce species in Norfolk - there was only one other record in 2016, three in total in 2017 and two others in 2018.  They are usually pretty obvious, not only because they're ginormous compared to the average Rosy Rustic, but the structure is different and the colour too.  I think there's also a slight difference in the curvature of the crossline too, but I haven't quite worked out how diagnostic that is.  But although size is usually pretty obvious, this is by no means a reliable means of identifying them.  I also caught a Rosy Rustic on this occasion, and it happened to be the largest Rosy Rustic I've ever seen.  In the photo below it appears to be even bigger than the Butterbur.  To be honest I don't think it was, quite (it's standing higher off the ground in the photo so is nearer the camera), but it was very very close.

Butterbur (top right) and Rosy Rustic (bottom left), North Elmham, 17th August

One of two Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana was the all-dark form f. caeruleaoatrana.  Quite a nice moth when fresh...

Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana (f. caeruleoatrana), North Elmham, 17th August

Other moths were Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 35 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Lime-speck Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, Double-striped Pug, 4 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 2 Dusky Thorns, Flame Shoulder, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Six-striped Rustics, 14 Flounced Rustics, 3 Straw Dots and Snout.

Mayflies and lacewings consisted of 2 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum and Chrysopa commata respectively, and caddisflies were 2 Hydropsyche siltalai and Medium Sedge Goera pilosa.  2 Nicrophorus investigator and an Aphodius rufipes represented the beetles and there were 3 Hornets and a Common Frog.

The following night saw an improvement with 5 new moths for the year.  One of these was a Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, my first for a couple of years.

Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi (male, gen det), North Elmham, 18th August

I've seen rather more Birch Marbles Apotomis betuletana, but not at home - this was my first trapped at home since 2015.

Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana, North Elmham, 18th August

2 Square-spot Rustics, Centre-barred Sallow and Frosted Orange were also new species for the year.

Square-spot Rustic, North Elmham, 18th August

Centre-barred Sallow, North Elmham, 18th August

Frosted Orange, North Elmham, 18th August

Other moths were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 46 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Maiden's Blush, Single-dotted Wave, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, Lime-speck Pug, Double-striped Pug, 4 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 2 Dusky Thorns, Rosy Footman, Flame Shoulder, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 12 Flounced Rustics and 3 Straw Dots.

A Green Drake Ephemera danica was the only mayfly. Among the green lacewings, Chrysopa perla was new for the garden.  It's a very common species that I've recorded up the road at the meadows before, but apparently it's a species that doesn't turn up in gardens all that often.  Other lacewings were Chrysopa commata, Chrysoperla carnea, 2 Hemerobius lutescens and Micromus variegatus.

Chrysopa perla, North Elmham, 18th August

There was a selection of caddisflies: Cyrnus flavidus, Polycentropus flavomaculatus, 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus marmoratus.  Beetles were 4 Bradycellus verbasci, a Nicrophorus investigator and another Curculio venosus.

It was a good night for bugs too, with one completely new species and two new for the year.  I've seen several of the Psallus species in the garden but they can be pretty tricky to identify.  This one keyed out to either Psallus flavellus or Psallus lepidus, either of which would be new to me, but I wasn't entirely confident I had adequately eliminated all of the other species, especially falleni (which, as it flies later than others was really quite a likely contender from the start).  The only way to resolve it was to check its genitalia, and this placed it as Psallus flavellus.

Psallus flavellus (male, gen det), North Elmham, 18th August

The two other bugs that were new for the year were the striking Campyloneura virgula and Neolygus contaminatus.  Other bugs were Birch Shieldbug, 5 Forest Bugs, 2 Tarnished Plant Bugs Lygus rugulipennis and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis. 

Campyloneura virgula, North Elmham, 18th August

Neolygus contaminatus, North Elmham, 18th August

Red-eyed Pug

Several more new moths for the year in the trap last Tuesday night: Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Buff Arches and Marbled White Spot.

Buff Arches, North Elmham, 21st June

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 21st June

Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora perebenanderi (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Another new moth for the year was inside the house - Case-bearing Clothes Moths Tinea pellionella.

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

In total there were 61 species - good by this year's standards though unexceptional for this time of year in a better year.  The others were Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrices Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 11 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 2 Treble Brown Spots, Riband Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, Purple Bar, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Mottled Pug, 9 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, 2 Scorched Wings, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, 3 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawkmoth, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 4 Marbled Browns, Buff-tip, 2 Common Footmen, 5 White Ermines, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 6 Brown Rustics, 3 Middle-barred Minors, 3 Treble Lines, 4 Mottled Rustics, 3 Burnished Brasses, 20 Straw Dots and 2 Snouts.

The Grey Pug had orangey-red eyes - never seen that on any Pug before!

Grey Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

This lacustrata was darker than usual - thought it might be mercurella though other features were suggestive of lacustrata.  Dissection confirmed it.

Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Caddisflies included 4 Hydropsyche pellucidula, a Phryganea grandis and 3 Mystacides longicornis.  I think this leafhopper is either one of the Edwardsiana species or Fagocyba, but can't progress beyond that.

unidentified leafhopper (proably either Edwardsiana sp. or Fagocyba sp.), North Elmham, 21st June

A couple of new micros and an Old Lady

I mentioned the Small Mottled Willow (and Rush Veneer) already, but 21st July was excellent even without them.

When I got home from work in the afternoon a large dark buttefly flew up the driveway towards me.  Flying right at me it looked big and dark, Peacock I presumed at first but I could see no sign of colour on the upperwing and something didn't look right.  A hint of a pale border to the wing made Camberwell Beauty cross my mind but surely I'd have seen more than just a vaguest hint of a pale border had that been the (unlikely) solution?  To my surprise if flew right past be and into the house through the front door!  I followed it in seeing it fly into the living room, but following it in there I was surprised to find no sign of it anywhere.  Surely a buttefly trapped in the house would be flying around the windows trying to get out?  I searched high and low and couldn't find it anywhere.  At this point the possibility that it was a moth crossed my mind and I wondered if it could have been an Old Lady.  Had I remembered then that Old Ladies have a pale border wings I might have been more confident from the off, but as it was it took several days before the riddle was solved.  Eventually it appeared at a window five days later - it was an Old Lady.

Old Lady, North Elmham, 26th July having been in hiding since its arrival on 21st July

The total count for 21st July was 540 moths of 123 species including 3 lifers.  The Small Mottled Willow was one, the other two were Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora paripennella and Buff-marked Neb Monochroa lucidella, both of which had to be confirmed by gen detting.

Buff-marked Neb Monochroa lucidella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora paripennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Some good macros too including some that I haven't seen very often before: Juniper Pug, Slender Brindle and Fen Wainscot.

Juniper Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Fen Wainscot, North Elmham, 21st July

Slender Brindle, North Elmham, 21st July

Also new for the year were Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Marbled Cosmet Mompha propinquella and Plain Golden Y.

Plain Golden Y, North Elmham, 21st July

Marbled Cosmet Mompha propinquella, North Elmham, 21st July

Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Dull Red Groundling Bryotropha senectella, 2 Cereal Tortrices Cnephasia pumicana, Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella and Rufous Minor were noteworthy too.

 Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella, North Elmham, 21st July

Dull Red Groundling Bryotrophra senectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Other macros were 3 Chinese Characters, Peach Blossom, Buff Arches, Blood-vein, 4 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 18 Single-dotted Waves, 17 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Large Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Yellow Shells, Barred Straw, V-Pug, 3 Green Pugs, 5 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, 3 Brimstone Moths, 4 Early Thorns, 4 Scalloped Oaks, Swallow-tailed Moth, 5 Peppered Moths, 4 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common White Wave, 3 Clouded Silvers, Privet Hawkmoth, Poplar Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, Pebble Prominent, 2 Buff-tips, Brown-tail, 4 Yellow-tails, Round-winged Muslin, 17 Rosy Footmen, 6 Dingy Footmen, 8 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 42 Common Footmen, 11 Buff Ermines, Ruby Tiger, 5 Heart and Darts, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Flames, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 16 Double Square-spots, 4 Nutmegs, 3 Dot Moths, Bright-line Brown-eye, Lychnis, Brown-line Bright-eye, 5 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Brown Rustic, 3 Dun-bars, 15 Dark Arches, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 14 Common Rustics, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, 38 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, Burnished Brass, Spectacle, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot, 11 Snouts and 2 Fan-foots.

Privet Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 21st July

Peach Blossom, North Elmham, 21st July

Lesser Common Rustic (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Common Rustics (males, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

The rest were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, 38 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella, 2 Woundwort Case-bearers Coleophora lineolea, 2 Grey Rush Case-bearers Coleophora glaucicolella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 7 Small Dingy Tubics Borkhausenia fuscescens, White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, 2 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 3 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrices Pandemis heparana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrices Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrices Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 24 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, 38 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 8 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula stagnata, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, 2 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, 3 Dusky Pearls Udea prunalis, 15 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla. 

Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, North Elmham, 21st July

Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July

A couple or nice bugs too, including Britain's largest leaf-hopper, Ledra aurita, and Iassus lanio.

Ledra aurita, North Elmham, 21st July

Iassus lanio, North Elmham, 21st July