Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana - Totals of 8 in the garden between 12th July and 3rd August 2019 and 7 between 12th July and 2nd August 2020 - slightly above-average showings. Also at the meadows on 7th July 2019 (2) and 18th July 2020.
Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019
Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th July 2020
Hoary Bell Eucosma cana - Totals of 50 in the garden between 23rd June and 28th July 2019 and 25 between 17th June and 9th August 2020. The latter total was fairly typical but although the former was good it was less than half the 102 I recorded here in 2018. Also 5 at the meadows and 2 at Bintree Wood. Although some examples of this species are quite distinctive I find that others are very close to the hohenwartiana complex and I usually end up dissecting a few to confirm. When I do it's not uncommon that they don't turn out to be the species I was expecting them to be.
Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 16th July 2019
female Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019
Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana - A total of 9 in the garden between 10th and 25th July 2019. Although I'd had much smaller numbers previously I had 19 here in 2018. 2020 was back to normal with singles on 9th and 24th July. Many of these have been gen detted for confirmation however it should be noted that males cannot be determined from the two rarer species fulvana (never recorded locally but now known to occur in the Brecks) and parvulana (which I have now recorded here - see below) - I have included male hohenwartiana aggs. in the above totals. Also one next door on 7th August 2019.
male Bright Bells Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham, 10th July 2019
female Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019
female Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, North Elmham, 25th July 2019
male Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham, 9th July 2020
male Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020
Saw-wort Bell Eucosma parvulana - Among the hohenwartiana I had caught in 2018 there was one female that seemed to be intermediate between hohenwartiana and parvulana in what is perhaps the most obvious genitalic character that separates the two species. Given the extreme unlikelihood of parvulana turning up here (it feeds on Saw-wort which, according to A Flora of Norfolk does not grow in Norfolk except at one or two sites along the Suffolk border) I put that down as evidence that this feature is more variable in hohenwartiana than the references suggest. Then I caught another individual on which this character seemed to point even more strongly to parvulana, but bearing in mind my earlier conclusions and being unable to make out any of the other supporting features pointing to parvulana, I put this one down as hohenwartiana too. Then on 22nd July 2019 I caught an individual that I fully expected to be hohenwartiana, but in this case the genitalia clearly pointed to parvulana. Not only was the same feature pretty clear-cut but the supporting features were also there. I checked with others and they agreed it was indeed Norfolk's first Eucosma parvulana! Well, it didn't stand as the first for long because it turned out Keith Kerr had caught one a few days earlier, so it turned out to be the second record, though the jury is still out as to whether either of 2018's might have been too... If so then that would suggest there is a breeding population nearby, which begs the question, what are they feeding on? Is Saw-wort grown as a garden plant, or does it actually feed on something else? It will be interesting to see if more of these crop up in future years.
One caveat here... after enquiring locally about the 2018 specimens I've sent full details of 5 individuals that show one or more characters suggesting parvulana (including Keith's and my accepted records of parvulana and 3 much less convincing ones with mixed characters) to the authors of the paper which clarified the status and identification of parvulana (and fulvana) as distinct from hohenwartiana. It remains to be seen what they make of the identifications.
female Saw-wort Bell Eucosma parvulana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019 - showing the genitalia below
Marbled Bell Eucosma campoliliana - None. I had singles of this attractive species here in 2016 and 2017 but not since.
Saltmarsh Bell Eucosma tripoliana - None. This saltmarsh species occasionally wanders inland and I had 2 together in Bawdeswell in 2013, one here in 2016 and another 2 together here in 2018.
Mugwort Bell Eucosma metzneriana - None. This recent colonist is now turning up in numbers in the Brecks. It's not yet been found round here but I suspect it's only a matter of time.
Pale Lettuce Bell Eucosma conterminana - None. I've never seen this species but it's widespread in Norfolk with mostly recent records, and has been recorded only just down the road from here.
Brindled Shoot Gypsonoma minutana - None. One in my garden in 2016 is the only one I've seen so far.
Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana - At least 11 at home between 27th June and 30th July 2019 (not counted every night) and 10 between 12th June and 30th July 2020. Just about my lowest annual totals here. Elsewhere at Weybourne in 2019 and the meadows and Bintree Wood in 2020.
Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 30th July 2019
Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 12th June 2020
Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 26th June 2020
Poplar Shoot Gypsonoma oppressana - None. Given how widespread records are I would imagine I must be in with a chance of finding my first example of this species locally. I don't 'count' moths I don't catch myself but I was given this one to identify by Geoff Turner after he caught it at Weybourne in 2019.
Poplar Shoot Gypsonoma oppressana, Weybourne, caught by Geoff Turner between 30th June and 4th July 2019
White-cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma sociana - None. I have not yet recorded this species locally, though I do sometimes get Gypsonoma dealbana with white frons, supposedly the main distinguishing feature of sociana. I can't help wondering if a lot of records of sociana are in fact dealbana given the over-emphasis of this unreliable feature in the literature and some websites, although it does seem that I live in a sociana 'hole' with the east Norfolk, coastal areas and the Brecks claiming the lion's share of county records.
Colt's-foot Bell Epiblema sticticana - None. I've had several of these at a site near Bittering but apart from that there aren't any records closer than Ringland. This species may be easier to find during the day than to light.
Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana - None. I've not seen this species in North Elmahm but there is plenty of Spear Thistle growing at the meadows so it wouldn't surprise me if it's there.
Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana - Singles at the meadows on 24th June 2019 and 27th May 2020. Although this species is described as "rare" I'm not sure that's accurate any more (most Norfolk records are from this decade so it probably was accurate 10 years ago). There's a lot of Common Knapweed at the meadows so it wasn't a huge surprise to me to find it here.
female Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th June 2019
male Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020
White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella - 3 in the garden between 23rd June and 23rd July 2019 and then an unprecedented 9 here between 20th June and 17th July 2020. I didn't have this species here at all in 2018 and only 2 in each of the previous 3 years. Elsewhere 3 at the meadows and one at Weybourne.
White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019
White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019
White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham, 20th June 2020
Ragwort Bell Epiblema costipunctana - None. I've found this species at a couple of sites in the Bittering area but not had one round here yet. There's Ragwort growing at the meadows so hopefully I'll find it there in due course.
Next page: more Tortricidae
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