Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 4: Buttons II (Acleris to Pseudargyrotoza))

 TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Tufted Button Acleris cristana - None in 2019 but one in the garden moth trap on 30th January 2020.  2019 wasn't my first blank year here but I had 6 here in the previous 3 years.

male Tufted Button Acleris cristana, North Elmham, 30th January 2020

Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana - A total of 92 in the garden trap between 20th July and 18th October 2019.  Although only one less than 2018 this was my worst year since moving here and I recorded double this number in 2016.  It picked up a bit in 2020 with 123 between 6th July and 28th October.  Very few elsewhere: one next door, one at the meadows and 2 in Cornwall.

Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th July 2020

Ginger Button Acleris aspersana - None.  I've only recorded 3 of these, all in my garden in 2016-2017.


Meadow-sweet Button Acleris shepherdana - One at the meadows and 2 in my garden trap on the same night, 4th August 2019, and another at home 5 nights later.  3 in my garden is exceptional - I'd only ever had one here before, in 2015, but it wasn't a particularly good year for the species elsewhere in Norfolk - in fact there were only 2 others reported in the county in 2019!  None in 2020.

male Meadow-sweet Button Acleris shepherdana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

male and female Meadow-sweet Buttons Acleris shepherdana, North Elmham, 4th August 2019

male Meadow-sweet Button Acleris shepherdana, North Elmham, 9th August 2019

Sallow Button Acleris hastiana - One in the garden trap on 25th December 2019, a nice Christmas present being a species I have only recorded here 3 times before (2016 and 2017).  None in 2020.

male Sallow Button Acleris hastiana, North Elmham, 25th December 2019

Heath Button Acleris hyemana - I caught my first ever example of this species in my parent's garden in Keswick (the one in Cumbria not the one in Norfolk) on 6th April 2019.  It was quite a worn individual that wasn't showing the distinctive markings often associated with this species, and so required gen detting to resolve (although I did have an inkling that it might be this species).  This species does occur in Norfolk and can apparently be seen on sunny days, though it hasn't ever been recorded close to here, and nowhere even remotely close since the start of this millenium.

male Heath Button Acleris hyemana, Keswick (Cumbria), 6th April 2019

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana - A total of 8 caught in my garden trap in 2019 which is just about my highest annual total here (average 5 a year).  3 were between 15th March and 22nd April, the spring (hibernated) generation, one on 12th July was the only one from the summer generation and the other 4 were from the autumn (and overwintering) generation between 28th September and 25th November.  The same generation made up 4 of 2020's records between 16th January and 15th February and then there were singles on 11th and 13th July.  Elsewhere a larval record from the meadows on 24th August 2020 (thanks to Rob Edmunds for confirming this one).

male Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham, 15th March 2019

female Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham, 22nd April 2019

female Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham, 12th July 2019

male Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham, 28th September 2019

male Rusty Oak Buttons Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham, 25th November 2019

male Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham, 31st January 2020

male Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham, 4th February 2020

male Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham, 13th July 2020

caterpillar and pupa of Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th August 2020 (pupa photographed on 9th December)

Rusty Birch Button Acleris notana - None.  Despite the close proximity of 2 Birch trees (one very mature) to my garden I have never recorded this species here (or anywhere locally).


Elm Button Acleris kochiella - None.  I've never seen this species but the species has increased significantly in recent yearas and is now widespread in Norfolk, so I should think I must be in with a good chance of catching one locally.


Grey Birch Button Acleris logiana - One in my garden moth trap on 5th July 2020 was my first here, and indeed my first anywhere since just before I moved here in 2014.

female Grey Birch Button Acleris logiana, North Elmham, 5th July 2020

Lichen Button Acleris literana - None.  Another one I'm yet to connect with, but with a scattering of records around the county there must be a fair chance of me finding one round here.  Hope so anyway - they look fabulous!


Brassy Tortrix Eulia ministrana - One in my garden trap on 31st May 2019 was a new moth for the garden.  None in 2020.

Brassy Tortrix Eulia ministrana, North Elmham, 31st  May 2019

Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana - Singles caught in my garden on 4 nights between 31st May and 31st July 2019 and 3 between 12th June and 4th July 2020.  Although these are average showings I've had 2 blank years (and 10 in 2016).  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows and one at Weybourne.

Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Next page: more Tortricidae

Dark Sword-grass, Smut and new aphids for Norfolk that shouldn't be outside

A Dark Sword-grass was the unexpected highlight on 16th November, a migrant and only my second record from the garden trap.

Dark Sword-grass, North Elmham, 16th November

It was obviously a good night for migrants as there were also 4 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella in there.   Other things were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Pale November Moth, female Epirrita sp., Scarce Umber, Dark Chestnut, the caddisflies Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus, the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus and the leafhoppper Fagocyba cruenta.

Next day while birding at Burnham Overy I found this Natterjack.  It's remarkably well camouflaged on the sand, but it's shadow was easy enough to see!

Natterjack, Burnham Overy, 17th November

The only other non-avian thing noted there was a Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea flying through the dunes (hand caught by Paul).

There were only 2 moths in the trap at home, but they were nice ones: December Moth and Scarce Umber.

The following night there was Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, December Moth, 2 Winter Moths (the first of the winter in my garden) and the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus.

A nil return on 19th and Brick and Yellow-line Quaker on 20th.

This hoverfly Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax was flying at the meadows on 21st.

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

There were some nice fungi too, with thanks again to James Emerson for help with the IDs.  I particularly liked these Lilac Bonnets and Wood Blewits.

Lilac Bonnet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

Wood Blewit, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

Also that day, the distinctive little beetle Ptinus sexpunctatus appeared in my study - the third one I've seen this year and the second that's turned up in my study.  No moths that night though, nor the following night.

A warmer night on 23rd so I had a wander round the meadows with the headtorch.  I found a few moths: Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana and 6 Winter Moths.

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Winter Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

I had recently seen tweets about the larvae of the two Psychoides species that breed on ferns and so decided to have a quick look for these.  With beginner's luck the first Hartstongue I checked had one on it!  I was satisfied that it was Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora.

larval covering and larva of Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

I retained the leaflet that this was on and took it home with me in the hope that the adult moth would emerge.  And on 18th February this appeared in the pot!

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, 18th February, emerged from larvae collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 23rd November

I did notice a second clump of spores that I had wondered about as it seemed slightly out of place compared to the rest, but I decided it was nothing.  But in fact it must have held another larva because on 26th February another moth emerged!

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, 26th February, emerged from larvae collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 23rd November

They really are quite lovely little critters when they're fresh, and the first live ones I've ever seen (having found a dead one in the bottom of my garden moth trap in 2017).

As I was looking at the larva I noticed some aphids on the same bit of Hartstongue.  A little bit of online searching came up with an apparently good match, Black Fern Aphids Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  But I couldn't find out much information about the species, there weren't any records in the UK on the NBN Atlas and something I found suggested they only occurred indoors.  So I fired off an email to Jit Thacker, the county recorder for aphids.

For reasons unknown, Jit never received my email and so that was how I left it until I was catching up with records in the last few days.  In the meantime I have acquired a new book on aphids, so maybe I could progress this a bit more.  The book lists all the aphids known to occur on various plants, and for Hartstongue it only listed two species.  One looked nothing like these and the other was Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  Without the specimens adequately preserved I couldn't check the detail but they looked good - however the book reiterated what I had read, which is that in Britain and indeed the whole of northern Europe this species is only known from glasshouses and other indoor situations.

This seemed to warrant another attempt at contacting Jit, who this time received the email and responded promptly.  Off the back of this correspondence it sounded like I would need an adult specimen, preferably a winged individual (alate), to confirm the record - but that this was not to be expected as any colony was unlikely to have survived a British winter.

Well I had a careful look this morning and the colony HAD survived the winter (and I found another colony there too).  Still no winged alate, but the bigger unwinged individuals ticked all the boxes for Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  To confirm I took them through the full key, and sure enough I ended up at Idiopterus nephrelepidis.

Another email to Jit and this evening he has confirmed that they appear to be the first Norfolk record (albeit some old aphd records are missing), and perhaps also the first record of them overwintering outside!

Black Fern Aphids Idioterus nephrelepidis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Black Fern Aphids Idioterus nephrelepidis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Other things found that evening included Common Earwig Forficula auricularia, the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea, the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus, the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus, the leafhopper Idiocerus herrichi, about 20 Oak Apple Gall Wasps Biorhiza pallida, Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber and the centipede Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus.

Idiocerus herrichi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Oak Apple Gall Wasp Biorhiza pallida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Thanks again to James for confirming the ID of some Clustered Bonnets.

Very little in the garden trap that night: Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, December Moth and 2 Winter Moths.  No moths at all the following night though - just a green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg.