Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 10: Bells II and Shoots (Eucosma to Epiblema))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana - Totals of 8 in the garden between 12th July and 3rd August 2019 and 7 between 12th July and 2nd August 2020 - slightly above-average showings.  Also at the meadows on 7th July 2019 (2) and 18th July 2020.

Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th July 2020

Hoary Bell Eucosma cana - Totals of 50 in the garden between 23rd June and 28th July 2019 and 25 between 17th June and 9th August 2020.  The latter total was fairly typical but although the former was good it was less than half the 102 I recorded here in 2018.  Also 5 at the meadows and 2 at Bintree Wood.  Although some examples of this species are quite distinctive I find that others are very close to the hohenwartiana complex and I usually end up dissecting a few to confirm.  When I do it's not uncommon that they don't turn out to be the species I was expecting them to be.

Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

female Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019

Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana - A total of 9 in the garden between 10th and 25th July 2019.  Although I'd had much smaller numbers previously I had 19 here in 2018.  2020 was back to normal with singles on 9th and 24th July.  Many of these have been gen detted for confirmation however it should be noted that males cannot be determined from the two rarer species fulvana (never recorded locally but now known to occur in the Brecks) and parvulana (which I have now recorded here - see below) - I have included male hohenwartiana aggs. in the above totals.  Also one next door on 7th August 2019. 

male Bright Bells Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham, 10th July 2019

female Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019

female Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

male Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham, 9th July 2020

male Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

Saw-wort Bell Eucosma parvulana - Among the hohenwartiana I had caught in 2018 there was one female that seemed to be intermediate between hohenwartiana and parvulana in what is perhaps the most obvious genitalic character that separates the two species.  Given the extreme unlikelihood of parvulana turning up here (it feeds on Saw-wort which, according to A Flora of Norfolk does not grow in Norfolk except at one or two sites along the Suffolk border) I put that down as evidence that this feature is more variable in hohenwartiana than the references suggest.  Then I caught another individual on which this character seemed to point even more strongly to parvulana, but bearing in mind my earlier conclusions and being unable to make out any of the other supporting features pointing to parvulana, I put this one down as hohenwartiana too.  Then on 22nd July 2019 I caught an individual that I fully expected to be hohenwartiana, but in this case the genitalia clearly pointed to parvulana.  Not only was the same feature pretty clear-cut but the supporting features were also there.  I checked with others and they agreed it was indeed Norfolk's first Eucosma parvulana!  Well, it didn't stand as the first for long because it turned out Keith Kerr had caught one a few days earlier, so it turned out to be the second record, though the jury is still out as to whether either of 2018's might have been too...  If so then that would suggest there is a breeding population nearby, which begs the question, what are they feeding on?  Is Saw-wort grown as a garden plant, or does it actually feed on something else?  It will be interesting to see if more of these crop up in future years. 

One caveat here... after enquiring locally about the 2018 specimens I've sent full details of 5 individuals that show one or more characters suggesting parvulana (including Keith's and my accepted records of parvulana and 3 much less convincing ones with mixed characters) to the authors of the paper which clarified the status and identification of parvulana (and fulvana) as distinct from hohenwartiana.  It remains to be seen what they make of the identifications.

female Saw-wort Bell Eucosma parvulana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019 - showing the genitalia below

Marbled Bell Eucosma campoliliana - None.  I had singles of this attractive species here in 2016 and 2017 but not since.


Saltmarsh Bell Eucosma tripoliana - None.  This saltmarsh species occasionally wanders inland and I had 2 together in Bawdeswell in 2013, one here in 2016 and another 2 together here in 2018.


Mugwort Bell Eucosma metzneriana - None.  This recent colonist is now turning up in numbers in the Brecks.  It's not yet been found round here but I suspect it's only a matter of time.


Pale Lettuce Bell Eucosma conterminana - None.  I've never seen this species but it's widespread in Norfolk with mostly recent records, and has been recorded only just down the road from here.


Brindled Shoot Gypsonoma minutana - None.  One in my garden in 2016 is the only one I've seen so far.


Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana - At least 11 at home between 27th June and 30th July 2019 (not counted every night) and 10 between 12th June and 30th July 2020.  Just about my lowest annual totals here.  Elsewhere at Weybourne in 2019 and the meadows and Bintree Wood in 2020.

Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 30th July 2019

Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

Poplar Shoot Gypsonoma oppressana - None.  Given how widespread records are I would imagine I must be in with a chance of finding my first example of this species locally.  I don't 'count' moths I don't catch myself but I was given this one to identify by Geoff Turner after he caught it at Weybourne in 2019.

Poplar Shoot Gypsonoma oppressana, Weybourne, caught by Geoff Turner between 30th June and 4th July 2019

White-cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma sociana - None.  I have not yet recorded this species locally, though I do sometimes get Gypsonoma dealbana with white frons, supposedly the main distinguishing feature of sociana.  I can't help wondering if a lot of records of sociana are in fact dealbana given the over-emphasis of this unreliable feature in the literature and some websites, although it does seem that I live in a sociana 'hole' with the east Norfolk, coastal areas and the Brecks claiming the lion's share of county records.


Colt's-foot Bell Epiblema sticticana - None.  I've had several of these at a site near Bittering but apart from that there aren't any records closer than Ringland.  This species may be easier to find during the day than to light.


Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana - None.  I've not seen this species in North Elmahm but there is plenty of Spear Thistle growing at the meadows so it wouldn't surprise me if it's there.


Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana - Singles at the meadows on 24th June 2019 and 27th May 2020.  Although this species is described as "rare" I'm not sure that's accurate any more (most Norfolk records are from this decade so it probably was accurate 10 years ago).  There's a lot of Common Knapweed at the meadows so it wasn't a huge surprise to me to find it here.

female Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th June 2019

male Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella - 3 in the garden between 23rd June and 23rd July 2019 and then an unprecedented 9 here between 20th June and 17th July 2020.  I didn't have this species here at all in 2018 and only 2 in each of the previous 3 years.  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows and one at Weybourne.

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham, 20th June 2020

Ragwort Bell Epiblema costipunctana - None.  I've found this species at a couple of sites in the Bittering area but not had one round here yet.  There's Ragwort growing at the meadows so hopefully I'll find it there in due course.


Next page: more Tortricidae

Ox-tongue Conch and Yarrow Plume

There were two new moths for the garden on 8th July - Ox-tongue Conch Cochylis molliculana and Yarrow Plume Gillmeria pallidactyla.  The molliculana was only my second anywhere and it was interesting to compare the plume with the similar (but rarer) Tansy Plume Gillmeria ochrodactyla that I added to the garden list just 3 nights before.

Ox-tongue Conch Cochylis molliculana, North Elmham, 8th July

Yarrow Plume Gillmeria pallidactyla, North Elmham, 8th July

New for the year here were Grey-streaked Diamond-back Plutella porrectella (not annual here), Ochreous Pearl Anania crocealis (only my second here), 2 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Dark Umber and 2 Ruby Tigers.

Grey-streaked Diamond-back Plutella porrectella, North Elmham, 8th July

Ochreous Pearl Anania crocealis, North Elmham, 8th July

Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, North Elmham, 8th July

Dark Umber, North Elmham, 8th July

The rest of the 98 species were 6 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, 5 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, 2 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, 3 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 4 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, 5 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 17 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 2 Satin Grass-veneers Crambus perlella, 11 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 4 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 6 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis,  Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Leopard Moth, Common Emerald, Small Emerald, Small Blood-vein, Lesser Cream Wave, 4 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, Small Dusty Wave, 13 Single-dotted Waves, 10 Riband Waves, Barred Straw, Sandy Carpet, Common Pug, V-Pug, Double-striped Pug, 3 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 5 Early Thorns, 2 Scalloped Oaks, 4 Swallow-tailed Moths, Peppered Moth, 3 Engraileds, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Privet Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Buff-tip, 2 Brown-tails, 3 Yellow-tails, 8 Rosy Footmen, 4 Dingy Footmen, 72 Common Footmen, 9 Buff Ermines, 2 Short-cloaked Moths, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Common Rustics, 28 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, 2 Mottled Rustics, Beautiful Hook-tip, Snout and 2 Fan-foots.

Caddisflies consisted of Athripsodes aterrimus (new for the year) and 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula; there was a Common Earwig, and beetles included Hydrobius fuscipes (new for the garden) and Lagria hirta.

The following day I found a Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella and then overnight there were 102 species including the following additions to the garden year-list: Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Dun-bar, Light Arches, 2 Lesser Common Rustics and Dusky Sallow.

Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham, 9th July

Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, North Elmham, 9th July

Light Arches, North Elmham, 9th July

Lesser Common Rustic (male, gen det), North Elmham, 9th July

Dusky Sallow, North Elmham, 9th July

The others were Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, 3 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, 2 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, 2 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Acleris laterana agg., 8 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 4 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 26 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, 13 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 6 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, 2 Chinese Characters, Buff Arches, Lesser Cream Wave, Least Carpet, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 11 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 14 Riband Waves, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Common Carpet, 3 Barred Straws, Barred Yellow, V-Pug, 6 Double-striped Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, 2 Brimstone Moths, 4 Early Thorns, 3 Scalloped Oaks, Swallow-tailed Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, 2 Common White Waves, Clouded Silver, Privet Hawk-moth, 3 Poplar Hawk-moths, Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 13 Rosy Footmen, 10 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 72 Common Footmen, 4 Buff Ermines, Heart and Club, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 6 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 5 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Brown Rustics, 8 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Common Rustic, 42 Uncertains, Rustic, 5 Mottled Rustics, 3 Nut-tree Tussocks, Burnished Brass, Silver Y, 2 Spectacles, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot, 5 Snouts and 3 Fan-foots.

Caddisflies included 3 Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus flavicornis.  The click beetle Stenagostus rhombeus was new for the year while other beetles were Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva and Lagria hirta.

Stenogastus rhombeus, North Elmham, 9th July

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