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

Orange-tailed Clearwing and Hornet Moth in the garden

On the morning of Sunday 18th June I put the Hornet Moth lure out in the garden.  I think Hornet Moth is the only Clearwing species that has been recorded in my 10k square prior to this year and it's also the only Clearwing I'd seen before this year, but the nearest poplars are a fair way off so I was by no means expectant that the lure would be productive in my garden.  I checked the trap before going out at around 10ish more in hope than expectation but was pleased to find it already contained a Hornet Moth!

Hornet Moth, North Elmham, 18th June

With that success I switched the lure over to the Yellow-legged Clearwing lure - one of the commonest species I'd not yet encountered - and went out.

In the afternoon I was in Norwich and had a look round Thorpe Marshes - my first visit to this excellent newish reserve.  I only gave it a quick circuit as my wife was waiting for me in a hot car and I realised before I started that my real target (the Mallard x Pintail hybrid) wasn't actually at this site but down the road a little.  I will return here - the site looked great - but in my brief visit the highlight was seeing at least 10 Norfolk Hawkers.

Norfolk Hawker, Thorpe Marshes, 18th June

I returned home and made the mistake of not checking the pheromone lure trap straight away.  The first time I used the Yellow-legged Clearwing lure I'd opened the canister which you're not supposed to do and since then I'd had absolutely no success with it despite trying it in some really good habitat.  I thought I'd probably spoilt it and it wouldn't work, so I wasn't really expecting anything in the trap.  But I was wrong - I hadn't spoilt it - it works perfectly fine, I now know.

I learnt an unfortunate lesson today, which is not to leave the trap in direct sunlight on a hot day without checking it regularly.  When I did eventually check it, the clearwing in the trap was deceased.  This was especially sad because it wasn't the Yellow-legged Clearwing I was expecting but the other much rarer species that also comes to the same lure... Orange-tailed Clearwing!  Prior to this year there had been just two records of Orange-tailed Clearwing in Norfolk, both from the Brecks.  Mick Kerr had had one a few days earlier at Sporle near Swaffham, so a bit closer but still pretty much the Brecks.  Getting one here in North Elmham was a real surprise.

dead Orange-tailed Clearwing, North Elmham, 18th June

It's turned out to be a good year for the species (or maybe it's just that lots of people are trying the lures now?) - there have been another two records in the Brecks and one in the Fens.  I wonder how widespread they really are?  I'm not far from the VC27 border - the first for VC27 must be on the cards.

That night there were quite a few moths new for the year here: Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella, Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana, 3 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, Marbled Bell Eucosma campoliliana (only my second ever following one here around this time last year), Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Brown Powdered Knot-horns Delplanqueia inscriptella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, 2 Foxglove Pugs, 2 V-Pugs, Scorched Carpet, 2 Engraileds and Privet Hawk-moth.

Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 18th June

Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, North Elmham, 18th June

Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 18th June

Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 18th June

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham, 18th June

Marbled Bell Eucosma campoliliana, North Elmham, 18th June

Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham, 18th June

Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, North Elmham, 18th June

Brown Powdered Knot-horns Delplanqueia inscriptella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 18th June

Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, North Elmham, 18th June

Foxglove Pug, North Elmham, 18th June

Other moths were Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Tipped Oak Case-bearer Coleophora flavipennella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Meadow Case-bearers Coleophora mayrella, 3 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 14 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 14 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 7 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana, 2 Light Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia incertana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 12 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, 4 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, 18 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 7 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, 4 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Marsh Greys Eudonia pallida, 5 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Ghost Moth, Small Fan-footed Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 4 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 8 Riband Waves, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet, 5 Barred Straws, Sharp-angled Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Currant Pug, Green Pug, Small Yellow Wave, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, 2 Lilac Beauties, 2 Swallow-tailed Moths, 3 Willow Beauties, Common Wave, 3 Clouded Silvers, 5 Rosy Footmen, 4 Common Footmen, White Ermine, 6 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Short-cloaked Moth, Heart and Dart, Ingrailed Clay, 3 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Common Wainscots, 3 Brown Rustics, Dark Arches, Small Clouded Brindle, Marbled Minor, 6 Middle-barred Minors, 5 Uncertains, 5 Mottled Rustics, 2 Marbled White Spots, 2 Burnished Brasses, 4 Beautiful Hook-tips, 23 Straw Dots, 3 Fan-foots and 2 Small Fan-foots.

Ghost Moth, North Elmham, 18th June

I often see frogs around the moth trap at this time of year - there were 3 Common Frogs on this occasion.  I've never seen one eat a moth but I suspect that's why they're there.  One thing I did see eating a moth, a Common Marble Celypha lacunana, was one of 2 Fly Bugs Reduvius personatus.

Fly Bug Reduvius personatus eating Common Marble Celypha lacunana, North Elmham, 18th June

Other bugs consisted of a mating pair of Birch Shieldbugs.  Other insects in the trap included 2 Green Drakes Ephemera danica (mayflies) and a new beetle for me, Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes - at least I'm pretty sure that's what it was: it was a bit on the small side and there were slightly more setae on the head than the key implies there should be for this genus, but everything else checked out perfectly and it's supposed to be relatively distinctive with its golden-haired elytra.  Hopefully I'll manage a better photo when I see another one...

Strawberry Seed Beetle

Among the caddisflies 2 Polycentropus flavomaculatus and Oecetis lacustris were new for the year. There were also 2 Hydropsyche siltalai, 3 Hydropsyche pellucidula and Limnephilus lunatus.

Polycentropus flavomaculatus, North Elmham, 18th June

Saltmarsh mothing

Dave and I headed up to Warham Greens on Friday 16th June for some mothing.  Conditions were good and the results were excellent.  Among the haul were three new moths for me and a number of scarcely recorded species.

There were lots of Coleophora on the wing in the saltmarsh, the majority being Silver-streaked Case-bearers Coleophora limoniella and Saltmarsh Case-bearers Coleophora atriplicis.  The former are one of the few Coleophora that can be easily identified in the field.

Silver-streaked Case-bearer Coleophora limoniella, Warham Greens, 16th June

Saltmarsh Case-bearer Coleophora atriplicis (female, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella and Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella weren't so unusual but an Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella was a bit more interesting.  There are now quite a few records from west Norfolk but the first VC27 record is still to come - surely it won't be long now?

Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucipennella (female, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

But the star of the show was this Scarce Thorn Case-bearer Coleophora trigeminella, only the second record in the county (though the first of a series of records this year, about which I will write more in future posts).  Not only is it rarely recorded in the county but it seems to be pretty hard to find anywhere - indeed I have struggled to find any images of adults on the internet at all.

Scarce Thorn Case-bearer Coleophora trigeminella (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Another group of micros that were numerous in the saltmarsh were the Scrobipalpa.  As usual most that were retained proved to be Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella - here are three examples showing some of the variation in this species.

Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella (female, top, and two males, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

The next one looked interesting and so it proved.  Not a rare saltmarsh species if its vernacular name is to be believed but a new one for me, and only recorded in a few squares in Norfolk - Common Sea Groundling Scrobipalpa nitentella.

Common Sea Groundling Scrobipalpa nitentella (female, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

A more rarely recorded saltmarsh Gelechiid was Saltern Neb Monochroa tetragonella.

Saltern Neb Monochroa tetragonella (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Just two days earlier I had found a Bilberry Tortrix Aphelia viburnana at Burnham Overy, so I immediately recognised them when I found two more Aphelia viburnana here at Warham Greens.  An excellent record for a species that wasn't recorded in Norfolk between 2003 and 2016.

Bilberry Tortrix Aphelia viburnana (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

I was quite interested in the variation shown by a number of Cyclamen Tortrixes Clepsis spectrana.  Most, if not all, of the ones I've seen before have been moderately similar to each other - mainly pale with darker brown or reddish-brown markings.  There were one or two like that here but most were quite different being much darker overall (rusty-grey, some rustier and others greyer) and at first I wasn't convinced they were spectrana.  I checked them to be sure, and they were, so I wonder if this is a variant that only occurs in coastal areas?  Note how they all showed a small pale patch along the costa on the shoulder.

Cyclamen Tortrixes Clepsis spectrana (males, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Other tortrix moths included two saltmarsh species: 2 Large Saltmarsh Conches Phalonidia affinitana (which I'd seen here before) and the less frequently recorded Small Saltern Conch Gynnidomorpha vectisana (only my second).

Large Saltmarsh Conches Phalonidia affinitana (males, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Small Saltern Conch Gynnidimorpha vectisana (female, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Another conch was first recorded in Norfolk as recently as 2012 but there have been quite a good number of records in the last couple of years.  This one was my first - Ox-tongue Conch Cochylis molliculana.

Ox-tongue Conch Cochylis molliculana (female, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

While on the subject of Conches, we recorded two more species that I don't see all that often: Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella and Little Conch Cochylis dubitana.

Little Conch Cochylis dubitana, Warham Greens, 16th June

The smallest micro that was in abundance was a species I'd only seen one of previously (also at Warham Greens) - Saltern Bent-wing Bucculatrix maritima.  Interesting to see some of the variation in this species - we saw at least 10 but probably many more.  I was pretty sure of the ID but took a couple home to confirm.

Saltern Bent-wings Bucculatrix maritima (males, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Elachistids were represented by Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella and Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea.

Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea, Warham Greens, 16th June

Another micro I don't see very often was Speckled Fanner Glyphipterix thrasonella.

Speckled Fanner Glyphipterix thrasonella, Warham Greens, 16th June

The best of the Plumes was Mugwort Plume Hellinsia lienigianus but there were also 8 Saltmarsh Plumes Agdistis bennetii, 2 Yarrow Plumes Gillmeria pallidactyla and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Mugwort Plume Hellinsia lienigianus (female, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Yarrow Plume Gillmeria pallidactyla (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Other micros were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 3 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Buff Cosmet Mompha ochraceella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, 3 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Pale-bordered Piercer Grapholita janthinana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, 40 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 4 Meadow Greys Scoparia pyralella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Olive Pearl Udea olivalis and 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella.

Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana (male, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

By comparison the macros didn't offer so much excitement but there were some good ones.  Most notable were 6 Rosy Waves, Bordered Pug, 10 Shaded Pugs, Kent Black Arches, 15 Dog's Tooths (or should that be Dog's Teeth?) and Dotted Fan-foot.

Rosy Wave, Warham Greens, 16th June

Shaded Pug, Warham Greens, 16th June

Dog's Tooths, Warham Greens, 16th June

This noctuid caused some confusion, its identity not being immediately apparent to us.  In the end Turnip Moth seemed to be the only feasible solution and so it proved on dissection.

Turnip Moth (female, gen det), Warham Greens, 16th June

Other macros were 3 Ghost Moths, Orange Swift, 8 Common Swifts, 3 Drinkers, Large Emerald, Common Emerald, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, 3 Common Carpets, Barred Straw, Barred Yellow, Foxglove Pug, Latticed Heath, Brimstone Moth, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Yellow-tail, Cinnabar, Turnip Moth, 2 Heart and Darts, 3 Flames, 3 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, Poplar Grey, Marbled Minor, 3 Tawny Marbled Minors, 12 Middle-barred Minors, 2 Plain Golden Ys, Spectacle, Straw Dot and 10 Snouts.

As usual there were a few other non-Lepidopteran records of note.  I think this is a nymph of a Short-winged Conehead.  I didn't manage to get any sharp shots with the whole of its ultra-long antennae in the frame.

Short-winged Conehead nymph, Warham Greens, 16th June

Green lacewings included 2 Chrysopa commata and a Dichochrysa flavifrons.

Chrysopa commata, Warham Greens, 16th June

With large numbers of moths to retain for further examination I was reluctant to take home large numbers of caddisflies as well, but I did retain and identify 2 Agraylea sexmaculatas, Hydropsyche pellucidula and Athripsodes aterrimus.

Agraylea sexmaculatus (female), Warham Greens, 16th June

Bugs consisted of 2 Stenotus binotatus and flies included Ceroxys urticae, the first time I've identified this distinctive species.

Ceroxys urticae, Warham Greens, 16th June

There were a couple of beetles which I have not managed to identify after a couple of hours keying.  I have put them to one side and will come back to them at a later date.

Last time we were trapping at a coastal location (Brancaster) we found what I eventually identified, slightly tentatively, as the sandhopper Talitrus saltator.  We had 2-3 more presumed Talitrus saltator on the sheet at Warham Greens.

presumed Talitrus saltator, Warham Greens, 16th June

A good night, and it continued good as I had an excellent catch at home too - more about that on my next post.