Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 14: Piercers III (Pammene))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Early Oak Piercer Pammene giganteana - One came to the Grapholita lobarzewskii pheremone lure here on 10th April 2020.  I've only ever seen 3 of these, all caught using the same lure in 2018.  I don't think I put that lure out in April 2019 which is probably why I didn't get any that year.

Early Oak Piercer Pammene giganteana, North Elmham, 10th April 2020

Black-bordered Piercer Pammene argyrana - One found on an Oak trunk at the meadows on 27th March 2019 followed by another on 19th April.  The latter, when found, had very short wings and had me stumped.  It was like it was a female of one of the flightless moths, except that it looked like a tortrix and I couldn't think of any that had flightless short-winged females.  I duly potted it up and took it home, whereupon I found that it was a perfectly normal-winged male.  Presumably it had just emerged when I found it and hadn't pumped its wings.  A shame I didn't realise that as I would have liked to have watched and photographed it doing it.  These were only my second and third examples of this species - I've not had it at home yet.  Smart little moths!  None in 2020.

female Black-bordered Piercer Pammene argyrana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th March 2019

male Black-bordered Piercer Pammene argyrana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th April 2019

Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana - None.  I've only ever seen one of these and it wasn't local to here.  It's pretty scarce but there's a chance of it turning up locally.


Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana - Caught on 3 consecutive nights 23rd to 25th July 2019.  None at home in 2020, my first blank year here but I usually only get one a year so it was bound to happen sooner or later.  One at Bintree Wood on 24th July 2020.


Fruitlet-mining Tortrix Pammene rhediella - A moth that wasn't really on my radar so it was all the more delightful to catch one flying around a Hawthorn hedge at the meadows on 24th April 2020.  Pretty little thing!

Fruitlet-mining Tortrix Pammene rhediella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

Regal Piercer Pammene regiana - One at the meadows on 29th June 2019, spotted on the underside of a Hornbeam leaf (next to a Sycamore).  Unfortunately it was too high up to reach in order to get a good look at it.  I saw one here in 2018, the only other one I've ever seen.

Regal Piercer Pammene regiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019

Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita - None in 2019.  Despite having 2-3 at Bawdeswell when I lived there I didin't manage to find the species in the North Elmham area until 2020 when one at Bintree Wood on 24th July and the first one in my garden on 7th August.

Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita, Bintree Wood, 24th July 2020

Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana - 3 at the meadows on 21st June 2019 and one on 29th June.  I've not seen this species at home but don't particularly expect to as it's a day-flying species.  None in 2020.

Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Little Beech Piercer Strophedra weirana - I've only seen this species a couple of times and never locally.  No reason why it shouldn't turn up here though.


Little Oak Piercer Strophedra nitidana - Perhaps a bit less likely to turn up here than weirana.  I've only ever seen one in the Brecks.

Next page: Leopard Moths (Cossidae) plus

Pine Cone Tortrix - new to Norfolk

On Friday night Dave and I headed down to Cranwich Heath where Dave has acquired permission from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust to conduct moth-trapping.  We had a good time but the clear highlight was finding Pine Cone Tortrix Gravitarmata margarotana, a species not previously recorded in Norfolk.

Indeed at the moment it's not clear (to us) that it's been recorded anywhere in the UK very often.  There may well be more records that we have not yet unearthed but so far we know of one in Kent in 2011, published as being the first for Britain, possibly an earlier record in Scotland, one in Leicestershire in 2013 one in coastal Suffolk in 2014 [edit: Matthew Deans has informed us there have now been 2 coastal Suffolk records].  The Kent individual was found at a time when there weren't many migrants around so it was suspected that there might be a population in the area, and the species is expanding its range in northern Europe, so is likely to colonise the UK.  Well, whether there have been any more records or not, I think we can now safely say it has colonised the UK, for we didn't just find one, we found THREE!  Here they are:

Pine Cone Tortrixes Gravitarmata margarotana (1 male gen det), Cranwich Heath, 20th May

(PS: is the plural of Tortrix 'Tortrixes' or 'Tortrices'?)

Other tortrix moths included two more personal highlights, both species I'd not seen before: the nationally scarce Pine Bud Moth Pseudococcyx turionella and Black-bordered Piercer Pammene argyrana.

Pine Bud Moth Pseudococcyx turionella, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Black-bordered Piercer (male, gen det) Pammene argyrana, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Another pine-feeding Tortrix that I don't see at home (though I have seen a few times elsewhere) was Pine Bell Epinotia rubiginosana, of which we saw at least 2.

Pine Bell Epinotia rubiginosana, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

A good selection of other micros too: 2 Bordered Carls Coptotriche marginea, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, 8 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, 5 Wood-rush Case-bearers Coleophora otidipennella, Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufocinerea, Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, 4 Dark-barred Tortrices Syndemis musculana, 8 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Meadow Greys Scoparia pyralella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis and 2 Straw-barred Pearls Pyrausta despicata.

New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella (male, gen det), Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Wood-rush Case-bearer Coleophora otidipennella (female, gen det), Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Straw-barred Pearl Pyrausta despicata, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Pick of the bunch of macros has to go to the nationally scarce and Breckland speciality 2 Oblique Stripeds (another awkward plural...).

Oblique Striped, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

One of the two had a much stronger red band on the underwing than the other.

Other macros were Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Common Carpets, Streamer, Purple Bar, 6 Grey Pine Carpets, Spruce Carpet, 18 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, 2 Common Pugs, Brindled Pug, 3 Oak-tree Pugs, 2 Yellow-barred Brindles, 5 Tawny-barred Angles, 2 Latticed Heaths, 2 Scorched Wings, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Waved Umber, White-pinion Spotted, 2 Great Prominents, 5 Pale Tussocks, Orange Footman, Ruby Tiger, Least Black Arches, Flame Shoulder, 2 Shears, Knot Grass, Treble Lines, Marbled White Spot, Nut-tree Tussock and Spectacle.

Purple Bar, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Knot Grass, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Latticed Heath, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Ruby Tiger, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Marbled White Spot, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Scorched Wing, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Pale Tussock, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Shears, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Tawny-barred Angle, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Mottled Pug, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Pebble Hook-tip, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Bugs included several Harpocera thoracica and a leafhopper that hopped away before I could get an ID on it.

Harpocera thoracica, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

unidentified leafhopper, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Beetles included 4 Cockchafers and the weevil Phyllobius roboretanus, one I'd not identified previously.

Phyllobious roboretanus, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

I think this larger Phyllobius was Phyllobius maculicornis but I'm not 100% sure.  Would be new for me again if so, but very hard to separate from another Phyllobius that I have seen.

probable Phyllobius maculicornis, Cranwich Heath, 20th May

Only one caddisfly, another Limnephilus auricula, but a few similar Mayflies, the one I retained for checking proving to be Brachycercus harrisellus, a new species for me distinguished from its congeners by having its rear legs spaced further apart.