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

Ringstead moths

On Saturday 24th June I popped in to Ryburgh where there was Stoat, Banded Demoiselle, Black-tailed Skimmer, Cinnabar and lots of butterflies including Ringlet and Large Skippers.

That evening I joined the Norfolk Moth Survey at Courtyard Farm, Ringstead.  I was looking forward to this as I'd explored some of the public footpaths round the area during my lunchbreaks when I worked nearby and seen a good variety of day-flying moths and butterflies.  After a bit of faffing we eventually decided to set up on the north side of the farm where there is some great meadow habitat.  After a technical hitch with the generator (thanks to Gary for sorting it out - slightly embarrassing that I hadn't turned the fuel on) we got going, and it proved very interesting.

For some the highlight was probably the 6 (or so) Royal Mantles and there were plenty of other distinctive macros for folk who don't do micros and pugs! 2 Ghost Moths, 2 Leopard Moths, Drinker, 2 Peach Blossoms, 3 Buff Arches, Purple Bar, 2 Barred Yellows, Blue-bordered Carpet, Sharp-angled Carpet, Latticed Heath, 4 Swallow-tailed Moths, Privet Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, Lobster Moth, 6 Rosy Footmen, Ruby Tiger, Short-cloaked Moth, Marbled Coronet, Burnished Brass, Beautiful Golden Y, Blackneck and 4 Beautiful Hook-tips to name a few (as always with these outings, the numbers are just as many as I can remember the next day - there were probably much higher numbers of some of these).

Royal Mantle, Ringstead, 24th June

A Dark Umber was perhaps less impressive, especially in its worn state, and what was for me the best macro went completely undetected until I dissected it - a Yarrow Pug, a new species for me.

Yarrow Pug (female, gen det), Ringstead, 24th June

Other macros were 3 Common Swifts, 3 Common Emeralds, 4 Small Fan-footed Waves, Garden Carpet, 6 Common Carpets, Barred Straw, 2 Sandy Carpets, Lime-speck Pug, 2 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, 3 Shaded Pugs, Clouded Border, 4 Brimstone Moths, 2 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, Common White Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, 4 Common Footmen, Turnip Moth, Heart and Club, Heart and Dart, 2 Flames, 2 Flame Shoulders, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 8 Brown-line Bright Eyes, 3 Clays, Common Wainscot, Dark Dagger, Knot Grass, Dun-bar, 3 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, 3 Tawny Marbled Minors (and at least 2 more Marbled Minor aggs.), 3 Middle-barred Minors, 4 Uncertains, 2 Mottled Rustics, 3 Snouts, 2 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Dark Dagger (male, gen det), Ringstead, 24th June

For me the micros were more exciting, although like the pug, neither of the lifers were confirmed until they'd had their genitalia examined.  I retained 3 bronzy-green Coleophora which I imagined would be (Small) Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, by far the commonest species, but in fact they proved to be my first ever Red-clover Case-bearers Coleophora deauratella.

Red-clover Case-bearer Coleophora deauratella (male, gen det), Ringstead, 24th June

Another nice surprise when looking down the microscope was one of the Cnephasia - it turned out to be Meadow Shade Cnephasia pasiuana, a species only recorded five times previously in Norfolk.

Meadow Shade Cnephasia pasiusana (male, gen det), Ringstead, 24th June

Perhaps the rarest moth seen, at least so it seemed when I identified it on examining its genitalia, was Scarce Thorn Case-bearer Coleophora trigeminella.  At the time I thought it was the second record for Norfolk, but little did I know that I had three more sitting in pots on my desk that I had from the previous few days (one from Warham Greens and two from my own garden).  An amazing series of records!

Scarce Thorn Case-bearer Coleophora trigeminella (male, gen det), Ringstead, 24th June

Given that there were only 13 previous records in the county the number of Straw Flat-bodies Agonopterix kaekeritziana trapped was astonishing.  I put down 20 in my notes but I suspect the true number was considerably higher.

Straw Flat-body Agonopterix kaekeritziana, Ringstead, 24th June

One of the other highlights for me was my second ever Roseate Marble Celypha rosaceana.

Roseate Marble Celypha rosaceana, Ringstead, 24th June

I wasn't aware of, or had forgotten, the existence of an orangey-brown form of  Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana.  Two out of four that I saw belonged to this form f. ferrugana.

Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana f. ferrugana, Ringstead, 24th June

Other micros I got to see included Sycamore-seed Pigmy Ectoedemia decentella, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Netted Argent Argyresthia retinella, 5 Hawthorn Argents Argyresthia bonnetella, 6 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Hawthorn Ermels Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella, 2 Pistol Case-bearers Coleophora anatipennella, Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea, 10 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana, 6 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 10 Marbled Conches Eupoecilia angustana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 6 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 2 Yellow-spot Tortrixes Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 2 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (and lots more Cnephasia sp. that I didn't retain for checking), Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 12 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, 3 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Black-brindled Bell Epinotia signatana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 3 Bramble Shoot Moths Notocelia uddmanniana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana, Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana, Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, 30 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Yellow Satin Veneers Crambus perlella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 10 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Lesser Pearls Sitochroa verticalis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella, 2 Yarrow Plumes Gillmeria pallidactyla, 4 Brown Plumes Stenoptilia pterodactyla and 2 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Sycamore-seed Pigmy Ectoedemia decentella, Ringstead, 24th June

Apple and Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella (female, gen det), Ringstead, 24th June

Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella (male, gen det), Ringstead, 24th June

Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea, Ringstead, 24th June

Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, Ringstead, 24th June

Marbled Cnoches Eupoecilia angustana, Ringstead, 24th June

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Ringstead, 24th June

Yarrow Plume Gillmeria pallidactyla, Ringstead, 24th June

Two Dichocrhysa flavifrons represented the lacewings and the Scorpion Fly I checked was Panorpa communis.  The one caddisfly I retained to check proved to be a new species for me, Ceraclea albimacula.

Ceraclea albimacula (male), Ringstead, 24th June

The bug Polymerus unifasciatus was also new for me, unlike the Hawthorn Shieldbug.  The only beetle I identified was a Harlequin Ladybird.

Polymerus unifasciatus, Ringstead, 24th June