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

2 new moths, a very decent Lacewing and more

The night of 2nd August was brilliant.  89 species of moth wasn't a legendary total but there were some great quality moths and other insects among them.  Pick of the moths was a rare, nationally scarce A moth that I had never seen before.

Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella is an exceedingly common species which can quite easily be found in their hundreds feeding in Ox-eye Daisies and other wildflowers during the day-time.  I see them around North Elmham in abundance, but in four years of nightly light-trapping I have never caught a single individual in my garden.  So when I found what looked very much like one in my moth trap, two thoughts went through my mind.  First, this is a new moth for the garden, and second, given that simpliciella doesn't normally come to my trap, might this be one of the rarer congeners that I've never seen before, anywhere?

At first I thought it was perhaps a little larger than simpliciella that I'm used to seeing, which put me in mind of haworthana - but in fact it wasn't nearly big enough for that (I measured it just to be sure).  Easily observable external features ruled out all but two species - the very common simpliciella and the much rarer schoenicolella.  The literature cites three differences in the external appearance of these two species - the colour of the cilia (hairs) on the edge of the hindwing, which are very hard to see on an insect that tends to keep its hindwings covered up, the relative spacing of the bars along the costa (the leading edge of the wings) and the eveness in colour of the forewing and extent of copper near the apex.  Having looked at scores of pictures of both species on the internet I am not convinced of the reliability of any of these features except the colour of the cilia.  The few glimpses I got of its hindwings looked encouraging - very encouraging in fact.  I was pretty sure I could see brilliant white cilia there, near the base of the wings, but I couldn't get a clear enough view to be sure while the insect was still alive.  When I could eventually examine it without it moving I was delighted to see glistening white cilia at the proximal end of the dorsal edge of both hindwings, strongly contrasting with the greyer cilia in the outer half or two-thirds.  It had to be Bog-rush Fanner Glyphipterix schoenicolella.  That's an unexpected find here as it feeds on Black Bog-rush, a species that does not appear round according to the maps in A Flora of Norfolk.  It's not all that far away though, and with a widespread scattering of records across the county (including Dereham and Reepham areas) I imagine it is possible that it grows closer to here than the maps show.

Bog-rush Fanner Glyphipterix schoenicolella, North Elmham, 2nd August

I checked the genitalia too, just to make doubly sure, although looking at the images of female genitalia of both species online it wasn't very clear what the differences are.  One website suggests a possible difference but I couldn't really see this on the images, and indeed the relavant bit of the genitalia seems to be hard to keep intact when preparing specimens as it is completely missing from most photos (although I did see it on mine during prepraration I had lost it by the time I finished).  However, I think I can see two or three other differences between the two species:

1. On both species the papillae anales, the very tip of the abdomen, have a tiny discrete projection at their very tip.  On simpiciella this seems to be bigger, starting as a continuation of the more proximal section and narrowing gradually to form a point, whereas on schoenicolella this seems to start narrower than the adjacent more proximal section, so stepped at least on the outer side and is therefore tinier and sharper.
2. Between the two papillae anales just below their broadest sections the membrane is covered in longitudinally wrinkled light sclerotisation.  This seems to be thicker and more sclerotised on schoenicolella, though I'm not sure how much this could depend on how the genitalia are prepared.
3. On both species the sclerotisation on the 8th segment is extended centrally into a triangular pointed projection pointing distally.  On schoenicolella this projection seems to be shorter, just a little longer than an equilateral triangle and with straight sides coming to a point, whereas on simpiciella it is more horn-shaped, a longer clearly isosceles triangle with convex sides and a rounded or at least blunt tip.  

These suggested differences are based on just a very small number of images so I cannot say that any of them are diagnostic, or with any great confidence that they should even be remotely useful.  However if they do prove to be valid differences then my moth clearly meets all three criteria for schoenicolella.

female genitalia of Bog-rush Fanner Glyphipterix schoenicolella, North Elmham, 2nd August

The second new moth for me was a slightly commoner species, Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella.  There are a number of similar species but on this one the third dorsal fascia is distinctively angled back in a sort of chevron shape.  I was therefore fairly confident about this ID before chopping it, but as its genitalia are also quite distinctive I checked it under the microscope too.

Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd August

There were a number of other new moths for the year too: Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, 2 Heather Tortrixes Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Orange Swift, Sallow Kitten and Six-striped Rustic.

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, North Elmham, 2nd August

Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, North Elmham, 2nd August

Orange Swift, North Elmham, 2nd August

Sallow Kitten, North Elmham, 2nd August

Six-striped Rustic, North Elmham, 2nd August

A few other species were noteworthy too:  White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, Pointed Slender Parornix finitimella, Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella, Dark Umber and Twin-spotted Wainscot.

White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, North Elmham, 2nd August

Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd August

The other moths were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, 3 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, 4 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, 2 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, 2 House Nebs Bryotropha domestica, an Oegoconia sp. that escaped, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 38 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 24 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 15 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 4 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 18 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, Small Fan-footed Wave, 4 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, 7 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 6 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, 2 Maple Pugs, 2 Lime-speck Pugs, 2 Wormwood Pugs, Grey Pug, Magpie Moth, 2 Bordered Beauties, 2 Early Thorns, Iron Prominent, Yellow-tail, 6 Dingy Footmen, Common Footman, Buff Ermine, Ruby Tiger, 3 Turnip Moths, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 8 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 13 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, 2 Common Wainscots, Copper Underwing, 2 Straw Underwings, Angle Shades, 2 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, Common Rustic, Small Rufous and 9 Straw Dots.

Although the new moths were very exciting, neither of them were fully identified on the morning that I found them.  Well neither was this lacewing, but I was pretty sure it would prove to be something I had never seen before.  And so it turned out - it was Hemerobius nitidulus, a pine-feeding species that had been recorded in Norfolk 5 times up to 1988 and not since, at least until the last summary publication of records that was published in 2016. 

Hemerobius nitidulus, North Elmham, 2nd August

Other brown lacewings were Hemerobius lutescens and 4 Micromus variegatus. Green lacewings consisted of Chrysopa commata (new for the year) and Dichochrysa flavifrons. The only mayflies were 5 Green Drakes Ephemera danica, and once again all five were dead in the bottom of the trap.   Caddisflies were Hydropsyche pellucidula and 2 Hydropsyche siltalai.

Chrysopa commata, North Elmham, 2nd August

No new bugs for a change (lots recently) but a variety of species: Birch Shieldbug, Blepharidopterus angulatus, Lygus pratensis, Psallus haematodes and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis.

There was one more lifer waiting for me: a Lesser Mealworm Beetle Alphitobius diaperinus.  Also among the beetles the water-beetle Rhantus suturalis was new for the year and there were 5 Bradycellus verbasci along with single Hydrobius fuscipes and Aphodius rufipes.

Lesser Mealworm Beetle Alphitobius diaperinus, North Elmham, 2nd August

Rhatnus suturalis, North Elmham, 2nd August

The following evening I had a wander round the Cathedral Meadows with a torch and found a selection of moths: Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Orange Swift, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Yellow Shell, Coxcomb Prominent, Flame Shoulder, Square-spotted Clay, 4 Silver Ys and Straw Dot.  There were also 3 Common Earwigs, the green lacewing Dichochrysa flavifrons and 2 Common Toads.

Orange Swift, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August

A few quieter nights

A visit to Titchwell on Saturday 3rd June produced a few insects including Hairy Dragonfly, Large Skipper, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and Cinnabar.  At home a Tree Bumblebee appears to have been the first I've identified here.

That night Lime-speck Pug, Mottled Beauty and Pinion-streaked Snout were new for the year.

Pinion-streaked Snout, North Elmham, 3rd June

Other moths were 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 4 Common Swifts, Treble Brown Spot, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Currant Pug, Common Pug, Clouded Border, Common White Wave, 3 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Orange Footman, 9 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, 6 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Shears, Bright-line Brown-eye, Common Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Middle-barred Minor, 6 Treble Lines, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, 6 Straw Dots and Snout.

Another new bee for the house (I'm sure I must have had these before... just not identified any before) was White-tailed Bumblebee.  A Limnephilus lunatus was the only caddis and another new species for the house was the psyllid Chamaepsylla hartigii.

Chamaepsylla hartigii, North Elmham, 3rd June

Next day yet another new bumblebee for the house, again one I suspect has passed me by un-noticed (I've tended to only identify those that appeared in the moth trap or inside the house before) - Buff-tailed Bumblebee.  Also found in the garden during the day were White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, the first two of which were new for the year here.

White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, North Elmham, 4th June

New for the year that night were Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Flame and Shoulder-striped Wainscot.

Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, North Elmham, 4th June

Flame, North Elmham, 4th June

Shoulder-striped Wainscot, North Elmham, 4th June

Other moths were Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, 3 Common Swifts, Blood-vein, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common White Wave, 5 Light Emeralds, 3 White Ermines, 11 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, 5 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Brown Rustics, 3 Marbled Minors, 5 Treble Lines and 8 Straw Dots.  Also the caddis Limnephilus lunatus.

New for the year on Monday 5th June were Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Riband Wave and the bug Pinalitus cervinus.

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 5th June

Riband Wave, North Elmham, 5th June

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham, 5th June

Other moths were Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 3 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Common Swift, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Willow Beauty, 3 Light Emeralds, Elephant Hawk-moth, 4 White Ermines, Ingrailed Clay, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 3 Brown Rustics, 2 Marbled Minors, Treble Lines, Spectacle and 4 Straw Dots.

With strong winds and driving rain there were hardly any moths on 6th June - just 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Ingrailed Clay and Brown Rustic.

Next day Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella and Uncertain were new for the year.

Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, North Elmham, 7th June

Uncertain, North Elmham, 7th June

Other moths were Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 2 Common Swifts, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, 5 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Common White Waves, 2 Light Emeralds, Buff Ermine, Heart and Dart, 3 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Marbled Minors, 2 Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 4 Straw Dots and Snout.

The green lacewing Nineta vittata was new for the year while caddisflies consisted of Hydropsyche pellucidula, Goera pilosa and Limnephilus auricula.

Nineta vittata, North Elmham, 7th June

Goera pilosa, North Elmham, 7th June

Lolly Moor and Marsham Heath

I thought a pleasant warm evening on 31st August might be good for dusking so I popped down to Lolly Moor NWT reserve.  It felt a bit slow but in the end it wasn't bad: White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi (just realised this has changed its name from N. wolffiella), Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 18 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Common Carpet, Green Carpet, 5 Straw Dots and Pinion-streaked Snout.

White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, Lolly Moor, 31st August

Pinion-streaked Snout, Lolly Moor, 31st August

One spider that found itself in the net was duly photographed and subsequently identified as Linyphia triangularis, the first time I've identified this species.   Other non-lepidopteran interest included the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus and a Hobby.

Linyphia triangularis, Lolly Moor, 31st August

Hemerobius humulinus, Lolly Moor, 31st August

Moths at home that night consisted of Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 5 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Common Carpets, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, 3 Green Carpets, Treble-bar, 15 Brimstone Moths, 2 Canary-shouldered Thorns, 4 Dusky Thorns, 6 Light Emeralds, 8 Flame Shoulders, 21 Large Yellow Underwings, 10 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Small Square-spot, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, 8 Square-spot Rustics, Lychnis, Common Wainscot, 3 Centre-barred Sallows, 6 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, Frosted Orange, 2 Burnished Brasses, 12 Straw Dots, 9 Snouts and another Pinion-streaked Snout.

The following night Dave and I trapped at Marsham Heath.  We didn't manage to trap any of our targets but found several noteworthy moths nonetheless.  Perhaps the best was Brown Knot-horn Pyla fusca, a species I had only seen once before, at the same place in 2012. 

Brown Knot-horn Pyla fusca, Marsham Heath, 1st September

Another 'second' was this Red Birch Slender Caloptilia betulicola.

Red Birch Slender Caloptilia betuclicola (male, gen det), Marsham Heath, 1st September

Other species I don't see often included Birch Sober Anacampsis blattariella and 5 Dark Grass-veneers Crambus hamella.

Birch Sober Anacampsis blattariella, Marsham Heath, 1st September

Dark Grass-veneer Crambus hamella, Marsham Heath, 1st September

We saw lots (at least 25) of Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, but at least a lot of them looked bigger than usual and the majority were dark forms (none were the pale form that I usually see most often though some approached that).  Some were quite tatty but others were very fresh, yet the Cydia splendana I see at home peak in late July and are almost over by September.  It was almost as though these were a different species!  Confused, I retained a selection and checked them when I got home - they were indeed Cydia splendana.  Interestingly I see Cydia splendana feeds on Oak and Sweet Chestnut.  There are one or two oaks near my garden but no Sweet Chestnut nearby so far as I know.  Most of the other places I've trapped this species in the past have been near Oaks too.  Here at Marsham Heath there were lots of Sweet Chestnut (and some of these were caught flying around the Sweet Chestnuts).  Is it possible that Oak-feeding populations are paler and smaller and earlier on average than Sweet Chestnut feeding populations?  Pure speculation without more data, but something I shall be interested to study in future.  Maybe they're cryptic species...

Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Marsham Heath, 1st September

Other moths we recorded were 6 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, 6 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Birch Marbles Apotomis betuletana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 4 Small Birch Bells Epinotia ramella, Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, 65 Grey Gorse Piercers Cydia ulicetana, 8 Ground-moss Greys Eudonia truncicolella, Orange Swift, Common Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, 3 Grey Pine Carpets, Spruce Carpet, Green Carpet, 4 Double-striped Pugs, Tawny-barred Angle, 3 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 2 Light Emeralds, Black Arches, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spot Rustic, Copper Underwing and 2 Silver Ys.

Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana, Marsham Heath, 1st September

Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, Marsham Heath, 1st September

Small Birch Bell Eponotia ramella, Marsham Heath, 1st September

Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana, Marsham Heath, 1st September

Ground-moss Grey Eudonia truncicolella, Marsham Heath, 1st September

Other things at Marsham Heath included Southern Hawker and the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius humulinus.  On the way home we saw a small (presumably young) Badger beside the B1145 just west of Reepham.