Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 1: Fruit-tree Tortrixes and others (Olinida to Zelotherses))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE)


White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana - Singles in the garden trap on 24th June and 28th September 2019 and 17th July 2020.  I have had an average of one per year here.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 21st June 2019 and one at Whitwell Street on 3rd September 2020.

White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana - Singles in the garden trap on 5th and 26th June 2019 and then 5 between 17th May and 22nd June 2020.  I have recorded this species here every year with an average of 3 per year - 5 in a year is the best yet.

Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 5th June 2019

Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 17th May 2020

Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana - 7 at home between 19th June and 22nd July 2019 and 12 between 18th June and 10th August 2020.  In the 5 years I've been here I've had 25-29 in 2 years (2015 and 2018) but only 5-12 in the other 4 years.  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows and 3 at Weybourne.

Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, North Elmham, 18th June 2020

Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana - 3 here between 24th and 29th June 2019 and 4 between 24th June and 26th July 2020.  I record this species here most years but have never had more than 3 in a year before.  Elsewhere just one at Weybourne and one at Bintree Wood.

Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, North Elmham, 24th June 2020

Common Tortrix Capua vulgana - None.  Despite its name this species appears to be far from common in Norfolk and I've only recorded it a couple of times, neither of which were near here.


Pine Tortrix Archips oporana - None.  I've only recorded this species once, in the Brecks, but it seems to be locally at one or two other sites as Dave N has had loads of them in his pine-free garden in Toftwood.  Maybe not too big an ask for one to turn up here...?


Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana - At least 63 here (but not counted on a couple of nights) between 16th June and 31st July 2019 and 60 between 12th June and 5th September 2020 (including 12 on 24th June).  That's a fairly average year, perhaps a little below average.  Elsewhere recorded at the meadows on 4 dates and at Bintree Wood.  Roughly 95% of those caught here are males.

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, North Elmham, 14th June 2020

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, North Elmham, 24th June 2020

Brown Oak Tortrix Archips crataegana - None.  I've only recorded this species at home once (2018).


Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana - 4 here between 24th June and 4th July 2019 and 4 between 16th June and 18th July, slightly above average.  Also 3 at the meadows.

Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, North Elmham, 30th June 2020

Rose Tortrix Archips rosana - None.  I've caught 5 here in 6 years but all of them in just 2 years (2016 and 2018).  I recorded a dozen at Bawdeswell in my last 3 years there but it's only very recently that they've started being recorded from lots of different sites in Norfolk.


Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana - Singles here on 26th July 2019 and 10th August 2020, and one next door on 8th August 2019.  Although I had 7 here in 2016, 1-2 a year is normal.  It is one of a handful of species that I used to see more often at my old house in Bawdeswell.


Yellow Larch Tortrix Ptycholomoides aeriferana - None.  I've only recorded this species at home on one occasion (2016).


Brindled Tortrix Ptycholomoides lecheana - None.  I've had these here 3 times (2017 and 2018).


White-faced Tortrix Pandemis cinnamomeana - One at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019 and 2 at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August.  None in 2020.  This species is conspicuously absent from my current garden list.


Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corlyana - An average year here in 2019 with 4 between 30th July and 30th August and a good year here in 2020 with 8 between 5th and 16th August.  Also one next door and 2 at Swanton Great Wood in 2019 and one at Whitwell Street on 3rd September 2020.  A caterpillar at Foxley Wood was possibly this species but I'm not sure enough to record it as such.  Although photographed on a Hazel leaf it was hanging from a different tree (probably Oak) when found.

possible Chequerered Fruit-tree Tortrix caterpillar Pandemis corylana, Foxley Wood, 17th August 2019

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana - A total of 20 here between 15th June and 7th July 2019, above average.  6 on 24th June was my equal-highest count here and was more than the total number I saw in 2020, 5 between 20th June and 24th July (my worst year here).  Just one elsewhere, at Weybourne.

Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, North Elmham, 15th June 2019

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana - Recorded on 9 nights here between 5th July and 8th August 2019 (not counted every night but involving at least 15 individuals).  My worst year here so far.  20 between 24th June and 19th August 2020.  Elsewhere 5 caught at the meadows.


Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana - 4 recorded here between 25th May and 5th July 2019 which is my equal-best year (I had none here in 2018) and one on 23rd May 2020.  Also one at the meadows.

Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, North Elmham, 25th May 2019

Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana - Totals of 22 between 14th June and 12th July 2019 and 26 between 14th June and 16th July 2020.  These were my worst showings in the 6 years I've lived here.  Apart from one in next door's garden and a small number at my previous house in Bawdeswell I've never recorded this species anywhere else.


Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana - Recorded at home on 20th and 23rd June 2019 and 3 between 20th August and 22nd September 2020.  Neither of the 2019 records were in my trap - the first was found indoors and the second netted during the morning.  The latter is not surprising given how many I've seen flying in day-time at Burnham Overy over the years, but I think all my previous records here (and those in 2020) have been in the moth trap (not quite annual but 1-3 most years).

Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana, North Elmham, 20th June 2019

Timothy Tortrix Zelotherses paleana - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 was my only record that year.  I average 3 a year at home and this was my first blank year here.  I didn't have any at home again in 2020 but did find singles at the meadows on 3 dates between 9th June and 13th July and one at Foxley Wood.

Timothy Tortrix Zelotherses paleana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2020

Next page: more Tortricidae

Strawberry Tortrix and Fern Smut

I trapped two lifers on the night of Saturday 17th June. The first was clearly an Acleris laterana/comariana agg. but a very early date for laterana, and it was a bit on the small side.  I'd suspected comariana a year ago but the blighter escaped before I could confirm it, so I took great care not to let this one bolt for it!  One of the key differences in the genitalia are the size and arrangement of cornuti in the aedeagus (or in layman's terms, spiky bits in its willy!) but this one didn't have any cornuti (they sometimes leave them behind when mating).  The other features looked good but I wasn't 100% sure so sent a photo to Jon Clifton to check.  He confirmed what I thought - that it was a Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana.

Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

The second was instantly recognisable as a Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, but sadly it was also the only moth out of over 200 that didn't survive the night.  I started going through the trap at first light but by the time I reached it it was already dead in the bottom of an eggbox.  Still, a new moth for the house even if I am still yet to see one alive.  First recorded in Norfolk as recently as 2010 (Dersingham and Cromer) but there are now lots of records, mainly from the Broads.  Nevertheless despite Dick having recorded over 20 in five years at Dersingham, mine is only the second site in VC28 (west Norfolk) where it has been recorded.

dead Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

One more moth was new for the garden: Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella.

Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella, North Elmham, 17th June

Another excellent moth which I saw for the first time last year was Satyr Pug.  This one was a bit fresher than last year's and perhaps should have been identified, or at least suspected, without dissection.  Sadly for would-be twitchers I didn't get round to looking at it that carefully until it was too late.

Satyr Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Other new moths for the year were Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana, Drinker, 2 Lilac Beauties and 2 Rosy Footmen.

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, North Elmham, 17th June

Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, North Elmham, 17th June

Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Drinker, North Elmham, 17th June

Lilac Beauty, North Elmham, 17th June

Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 17th June

Also recorded were 2 Meadow Case-bearers Coleophora mayrella, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, 2 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, 8 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 6 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 11 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 7 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella, 4 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 2 Common Emeralds, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 5 Riband Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Barred Straws, Broken-barred Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Orange Footman, Common Footman, 7 Buff Ermines, Heart and Club, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Ingrailed Clay, 4 Double Square-spots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 7 Brown Rustics, Dark Arches, 5 Middle-barred Minors, 4 Uncertains, Marbled White Spot, 43 Straw Dots, 2 Snouts and 3 Fan-foots.

A good selection of caddisflies included 2 Ecnomus tenellus, Hydropsyche pellucidula,  Limnephilus lunatus, Athripsodes aterrimus, 2 Leptocerus tineiformis (new for the year) and 2 Mystacides longicornis.

Leptocerus tineiformis (male), North Elmham, 17th June

Bugs included Common Green Caspid Lygocoris pabulinus (new for the year) and the water boatman Sigara falleni, a lifer for me.

Sigara falleni, North Elmham, 17th June

Beetles consisted of my first Brown Chafer Serica brunnea of the year and another Cantharis cryptica.

Brown Chafer Serica brunnea, North Elmham, 17th June

Mayflies included 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, new for the year.

Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, North Elmham, 17th June