Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Clothes Moths (Tineidae) (part 1: Morophaga, Nemopogon and Tineola)

CLOTHES MOTHS (TINEIDAE)


Silver-barred Clothes Moth Infurcitinea argentimaculella - None.  I've never found this species but it's reasonably widespread and there's enough lichen at the meadows that I should be in with a shout for it there.


Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella - 3 in my garden moth trap between 17th July and 21st August 2019, which is as many as I had caught here since I moved in in 2014 (one in 2016 and 2 in 2017).  Also one at Weybourne on 5th July but none recorded in 2020.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 21st August 2019

Large Brindled Clothes Moth Triaxomera parasitella - None.  This is one of a handful of species I used to see more at my last house than this one - only one here so far (in 2018) compared to 4 in fewer years (and without a proper moth trap) at Bawdeswell.


Corn Moth Nemapogon granella - Although never in the moth trap I have seen this species here annually since 2016 and recorded 5 in 2019/20.  In 2019 one in my bathroom on 8th April, one to Red-belted Clearwing pheremone lure on 6th June and one came into my study on 8th July.  In 2020 one netted in the garden on 15th May and one on the outside of the patio door on 1st June.

male Corn Moth Nemapogon granella, North Elmham, 8th April 2019

Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella - 5 here between 24th June and 24th July 2019, my equal best year here but bettered in 2020 when 6 between 20th May and 6th August.  Also 3 caught at the meadows and one at Hills and Holes.  I used to get more of these at Bawdeswell than I do here.

Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, North Elmham, 25th June 2020

male Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 9th September 2020 (I'm not sure the aedeagus is to scale with the rest of the genitalia)

White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi - One at the meadows on 15th June 2019 and one at home on 23rd August, then in 2020 an impressive total of 6 in the garden between 19th May and 6th August (the first to Yellow-legged Clearwing pheremone lure, the second netted and the rest in the moth trap).  This species is nearly annual in the garden though I missed catching one here 2016.  It was also regular at Bawdeswell where I recorded the second for Norfolk back in 2011 - the species seems to have only become common in the last decade.

White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019

male White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, North Elmham, 12th June 2020 (I'm not sure the aedeagus is to scale with the rest of the genitalia

Gold-sheen Clothes Moth Nemapogon ruricolella - Attracted to the Yellow-legged Clearwing pheremone lure in my garden on 1st and 23rd June 2019 but none in 2020.  This species seems to have a strong attraction to these pheremones with at least 2 of my previous records being found the same way.  On the second occasion this year I had taken the bung with the pheremone lure on it out of its packet to put in its trap, leaving the empty packet on the dining room table.  I went outside, put the trap up, came back in and found that the moth had come in through the patio doors and crawled inside the empty packet, presumably having sniffed out the traces of chemical left on the packet.

Gold-sheen Clothes Moth Nemapogon ruricolella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

Barred White Clothes Moth Nemapogon clematella - None in 2019 but one in my garden moth trap on 29th July 2020.  I've recorded 1-2 in 4 of the 6 years I've been trapping at North Elmham but this is another species that I found more often at my old house in Bawdeswell (16 in 5 years without a proper moth trap).


Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella - One of the few Clothes Moths that really deserve to be called Clothes Moths, though it isn't as common as it apparently once was.  Having said that it seems to be having something of a comeback - at least it is in my house!  Since my first here in 2016 I recorded 2 in 2017, 4 in 2018 and 3 in 2019 (23rd April, 21st June and 18th September, all indoors).  Then in 2020 they suddenly reached proper infestation levels, with a monstrous 230 found in the house between 14th March and 22nd December, peaking with 24 on 2nd August.  Relatively few instances of holes found in clothes and I suspect most are eating the edges of the carpets.  Each one found has been destroyed as we don't particularly want all of our soft-furnishings destroyed, but with a few already recorded in 2021 I fear we will be fighting a losing battle!

Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella, North Elmham, 23rd April 2019

male Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella, North Elmham, 5th June 2020 - a darker browner individual than usual leading me to hope it would prove to be something more interesting (sadly not)

Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella, North Elmham, 8th September 2020

Next page: more Tineidae

Dark Sword-grass and a new leafhopper

It's always nice to find migrant moths in the garden trap - and this year it's been a particularly unusual to do so even when including the "common" migrant species like Diamond-back Moth, Rusty-dot Pearl and Silver Y.  But even knowing how poor my garden is for migrants I was a little surprised when I realised that this Dark Sword-grass on Sunday 3rd September was a new species for the garden.

Dark Sword-grass, North Elmham, 3rd September

Other moths that night were Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Small Dusty Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 4 Common Marbled Carpets, 3 Green Carpets, Currant Pug, Double-striped Pug, 3 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Willow Beauty, Light Emerald, 6 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Square-spot Rustics, 5 Common Wainscots, 8 Flounced Rustics, 2 Burnished Brasses, Straw Dot and 6 Snouts.

Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana, North Elmham, 3rd September

The caddisflies were Oxyethira flavicornis, Tinodes waeneri, Hydropsyche siltalai, 4 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 2 Small Silver Sedges Lepidostoma hirtum, Limnephilus flavicornis and 3 Limnephilus sparsus.  Beetles included another Amara bifrons and 4 Aphodius rufipes.  Unless I'm mistaken, this leafhopper is Alebra coryli, a hazel-feeding species I've never identified before.  The NBN Atlas doesn't show any records for Norfolk, but although the atlas is an excellent tool some of the datasets are quite incomplete so this probably doesn't mean much.  I await to hear from the county recorder as to its real status in Norfolk.

apparent Alebra coryli, North Elmham, 3rd September

Next day I was birding at Burnham Overy and came across a few moths too: 3 Spindle Ermines Yponomeuta cagnagella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 22 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Straw-barred Pearl Pyrausta despicata, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus and Yellow Shell.

Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus (male, gen det), Burnham Overy, 4th September

This snail proved to be a Wrinkled Snail Candidula intersecta, a species I've identified from here before.

Wrinkled Snail Candidula intersecta, Burnham Overy, 4th September

That night there weren't all that many moths at home but there were some interesting ones.  This Mugwort Plume Hellinsia lienigianus was my third this year (second here) but a species I'd only seen once previously.

Mugwort Plume Hellinsia lienigianus (female, gen det), North Elmham, 4th September

Nearly as good was this Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 4th September

This Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella was only my second fully-identified example following my first in July.

Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 4th September

The caddisfly Polycentropus irroratus was new for the year (only one last year).  Other caddisflies were Hydropsyche pellucidula, Small Silver Sedge Lepidostoma hirtum and Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus.  There was also the brown lacewing Hemerobius lutescens.

Polycentropus irroratus (male), North Elmham, 4th September

The mirid bug Phytocoris longipennis was a lifer, my fourth species in the genus.  Other bugs were 4 Birch Shieldbugs and 3 Forest Bugs.  There were also 4 dung beetles Aphodius rufipes.

Phytocoris longipennis, North Elmham, 4th September

The following night's moths were Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 2 Blood-veins, 3 Green Carpets, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, 2 Flounced Rustics, Vine's Rustic, Burnished Brass, Straw Dot and 9 Snouts.

The best caddisfly was Hydropsyche angustipennis, only my second here.  Others were Small Silver Sedge Lepidostoma hirtum, 2 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus auricula, 2 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus marmoratus.   Beetles included a copulating pair of Pterostichus niger on the lawn and 2 Aphodius rufipes.  There were also 2 Forest Bugs.

Pterostichus niger, North Elmham, 5th September

Next day's moths were Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, 11 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 11 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 5 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, 4 Flounced Rustics, Straw Dot and 6 Snouts.  Also an Aphodius rufipes (beetle).

Two more trigeminella on the best night of the year?

I've just realised that the Black-blothched Marble Endothenia nigricostana that I posted about yesterday was my 750th species of moth in my garden - another milestone reached.  Reached, and galloped past the following night with another four new moths for the garden.

The night of Wednesday 21st June was probably the best night of the year with 325 moths of 114 species, though that's quite a long way short of the best few nights of 2016.  There were no lifers among the moths but as I say, four new for the house including one remarkable record.  The Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella wasn't a surprise addition to the garden list, with the next door neighbour having a large Ash tree in their garden, and other Ashes growing nearby.  Netted Argent Argyresthia retinella wasn't much of a surprise either.  A Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella was a little less expected being a reedbed species but what was a real surprise was 2 Scarce Thorn Case-bearers Coleophora trigeminella.  This is the moth which I recorded at Warham Greens five nights earlier, the second ever for Norfolk - so these were the third and fourth for Norfolk!

Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella, North Elmham, 21st June

Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella, North Elmham, 21st June

Scarce Thorn Case-bearers Coleophora trigeminella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Others new for the year here were Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, 3 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, Large Emerald, Least Carpet, 2 Shaded Pugs, Round-winged Muslin, Brown-line Bright Eye and Dingy Shears.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 21st June

Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, North Elmham, 21st June

Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, North Elmham, 21st June

Least Carpet, North Elmham, 21st June

Dingy Shears, North Elmham, 21st June

3 Cnephasia sp. escaped and a very worn male Argyresthia was practically bare so couldn't be identified from external features.  So far I've been unable to match its genitalia to any species, though I can't find any images of male dilectella genitalia to compare it to (or a few of the rarer species).  The other micros were 3 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, 3 London Dowds Blastobasis lacticolella, 4 Buff Cosmets Mompha ochraceella, Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, 5 Hawthorn Cosmets Blastodacna hellerella, 6 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 9 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 8 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, 12 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Brown Elm Bell Epinotia abbreviana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 23 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 10 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 4 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

dark form of Common Marble Celypha lacunana, North Elmham, 21st June

Brown Elm Bell Epinotia abbreviana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

The other macros were 2 Common Emeralds (including an exceptionally small individual), 3 Small Blood-veins, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 9 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 19 Riband Waves, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Phoenixes, 3 Barred Straws, 2 Barred Yellows, Blue-bordered Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Currant Pug, Common Pug, 2 V-Pugs, 4 Green Pugs, Double-striped Pug, 2 Small Yellow Waves, Clouded Border, 2 Scorched Wings, 2 Brimstone Moths, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, 2 Engraileds, 4 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 6 Clouded Silvers, 3 Elephant Hawk-moths, Coxcomb Prominent, 4 Rosy Footmen, Dingy Footman, 8 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Poplar Grey, 3 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, 3 Dark Arches, Middle-barred Minor, Treble Lines, 13 Uncertains, Marbled White Spot, Green Silver-lines, 5 Beautiful Hook-tips, 3 Straw Dots, 5 Snouts, 3 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 21st June

If the moths were good then the other insects were just as good!  So good in fact that I think I'll save them for another post!

Confusing Ermine

Things started to pick up again on 14th.  One species was probabaly one that I've never seen before - problem is it could be one of 2 species I've never seen before, with a chance of another that I have seen.  Three species of Yponomeutids, Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella, Apple Ermine Yponomeuta malinellus, Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella are supposed to be inseparable unless you know their foodplant, which in the case of isolated records of adults is pretty much impossible.  There are typical differences though.  Spindle is largest, on average, and has pure white background colour to the forewing including the cilia, Apple also has white background colour but may have grey cilia while Orchard usually has a greyish suffusion to the forewing and distinctly grey cilia.  Mine had really contrasting grey cilia, so can't have been Spindle, but pure white background colour to the forewings.  Size was good for Apple or Orchard, though within range for any of them.  With such white forewings I thought it unlikely to be Orchard, but I can't find any photos of Apple Ermine that have such distinct grey cilia.  There is a hint of what might be grey suffusion on the wings, but not as much as I would expect on Orchard.  I swayed between thinking Apple (because of the white background colour) and Orchard (because such contrastingly grey cilia seem to be more typical of that species), but it must go down as either or.  Actually I'm not 100% sure it's even that.  In the photos there does seem to be a slight greyish suffusion in a patch within the rear half of the wing.  I thought this was wear at the time but it's the same on both sides.  Could it even be Willow Ermine Yponomeuta rorrella?

Ermine sp. Yponomeuta sp., North Elmham, 14th July

Other highlights included Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, a species I saw at Bawdeswell a couple of times but haven't seen for 4 years.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 14th July

Also new for the year here were Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, White Satin, 2 Scarce Footmen, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Marbled Beauty.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 14th July

Scarce Footman, North Elmham, 14th July

Marbled Beauty, North Elmham, 14th July

Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, North Elmham, 14th July

Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, North Elmham, 14th July

Other micros were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Variegated Golden Tortrixes Archips xylosteana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 4 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 8 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, North Elmham, 14th July

Other macros were Ghost Moth, 2 Buff Arches, Small Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, 7 Riband Waves, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, Barred Yellow, 3 V-Pugs, 2 Green Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, 3 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 3 Rosy Footmen, 11 Common Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Flame, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 7 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Grey Dagger, 3 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Rufous Minor, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 3 Common Rustics, 15 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Spectacle, Straw Dot, 2 Snouts, 3 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 14th July

Riband Wave (left) and Small Emerals (right), North Elmham, 14th July

Rufous Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

Some interesting bits and pieces among the other insects in the trap, including the Mayfly Baetis scambus, a new one for me.  The Hoverfly Baccha elongata was new for the house.  Caddisflies included Polycentropus flavomaculatus, 2 Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus lunatus.

Baetis scambus, North Elmham, 14th July

Baccha elongata, North Elmham, 14th July