Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 8: Marbles II and Rollers etc. (Endothenia to Spilonota))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Teasel Marble Endothenia gentianaeana - None.  I've only seen one of these, in my garden in 2015. 


Downland Marble Endothenia oblongana - None caught by me though I did confirm 3 that were caught by Geoff Turner at Weybourne during the week before I visited in July 2019 and one caught by Dave at Toftwood (Dereham) in August 2020.  I've not had this in North Elmham yet but there's plenty of Ribwort Plantain and Common Knapweed at the meadows so I must have a really good chance of finding it locally.  I had one at Creaking Gate Lake (Bittering) once so not all that far away.

2 male and 1 female Downland Marbles Endothenia oblongana, caught at Weybourne by Geoff Turner, 30th June-4th July 2019

male Downland Marbles Endothenia oblongana, caught at Toftwood (Dereham) by Dave Norgate, 7th August 2020

Bordered Marble Endothenia marginana - None confirmed.  Another one that could plausibly turn up here but I'm yet to find it anywhere.  However an Endothenia at Brancaster with Will and Sarah on 2nd July wasn't retained for checking and bearing in mind the abundance of this species' foodplant here there's a good chance it was this.


Woundwort Marble Endothenia pullana - None.  I know this occurs locally as I trapped one here in 2016 but that was the second for Norfolk (first post-Victorian) so they clearly aren't common.  There's a lot of Marsh Woundwort growing at the meadows though, so potential to find it there.


Bugle Marble Endothenia ustulana - One trapped in my garden on 23rd July 2019 was a completely new moth for me.

male Bugle Marble Endothenia ustulana, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Black-edged Marble Endothenia nigricostana - One at Hindolveston when I visited Marcus on 6th July 2020 (I think he pointed it out).  I've recorded this here (once, when it came to Yellow-legged Clearwing pheremone lure in 2017), at the meadows and at Rawhall.


Heath Marble Endothenia ericetana - One in the garden on 17th July 2019, my first since 3 here in 2015.

Heath Marble Endothenia ericetana, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana - 4 in the garden trap between 29th June and 20th August 2019, a fairly typical year.  Singles on 5th and 31st July 2020 was a bit below par.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 13th June 2020.

Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th June 2020

Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, North Elmham, 5th July 2020

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana - My worst 2 years on record here with just one in 2019, on 30th June, and 4 between 28th July and 10th August 2020.  I had 24 here in 2018 and averaged 17 a year between 2015 and 2018.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 25th May 2019, singles at Bintree Wood and Whitwell Street in 2020 and 6 near Carsaig on Mull in 2019.

female Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, North Elmham, 5th August 2020

Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana - One at the meadows on 26th July 2019.  None in 2020 and none at home where I'd had 1-2 in each of the previous 3 years.

Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

Saltern Marble Bactra robustana - None.  Not particularly likely here but there are a few inland records so not out of the question.  I've dissected a number of apparent candidates for this species but they're nearly always something else.


Honeysuckle Bell Eucosmomorpha albersana - None.  I've never seen this species but although it's scarce it's widespread enough to think it might be lurking round here somewhere.


Cherry-bark Moth Enarmonia formosana - None.  I had 3 of these at home in 2015/16 but not since.


Bridge Roller Ancylis uncella - None.  Although there are no records from anywhere very close to here they occur commonly enough in the heaths a little way to the east and to the west, so I should think there's a fair chance once might wander over here.


Dark Roller Ancylis upupana - None.  I've never seen this species and it's not exactly common so perhaps a bit optimistic to hope for one round here, but it's a smart-looking thing so I shall be keeping an eye out for it.  There are patches of Birch woodland round here so maybe more chance of this than one or two of the slightly commoner but habitat-restricted species like Festooned Roller Ancylis geminana?


Common Roller Ancylis badiana - One at Carsaig on Mull on 10th June 2019.  In Norfolk it's not at all common away from the Brecks though I did have one at the meadows in 2018.

Common Roller Ancylis badiana, Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019

Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana - A total of 36 at home between 24th June and 23rd July 2019, my best year to date (though I've never gone below 21 in a year here).  2020 was good too with 34 between 16th June and 22nd July including a record count of 6 on 26th June.  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows and one at Hellesdon in 2019.

Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Red Roller Ancylis mitterbacheriana - None.  This is a pretty widespread species in Norfolk and I've had it as close as Bawdeswell Heath but so far I've not found it in North Elmham.


Lemon Bell Thiodia citrana - None.  Although this is described as being mainly Breckland there are quite a few records from elsewhere in Norfolk (including 2 I had in my last house at Bawdeswell) so I must be in with a decent chance of finding one locally before too long.


Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana - At least 30 in the garden between 4th July and 7th August 2019 (not counted every night), my best total to date though not all that far ahead of other years.  In contrast 15 between 26th June and 7th August 2020 was my worst showing so far.  Also recorded at the meadows, Weybourne and Swanton Great Wood, all in 2019.

Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

male Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, North Elmham, 29th July 2020

Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana - 8 in the garden between 24th June and 16th August 2019 and another 8 between 5th July and 6th August 2020.  I've had between 8 and 12 here every year since 2015.  Elsewhere one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.

female Bud Moth Spilonota ocellama, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

male Bud Moth Spilonota ocellama, North Elmham, 5th July 2020

Larch-bud Moth Spilonota laricana - None.  I've only ever caught one of these here, in 2017.


Next page: more Tortricidae

Saltmarsh meets North Elmham, a scarce barkfly, a new bug and a new beetle

2018 seems to have been an exceptional year for saltmarsh species making their way inland.  I have already blogged about a surprise Silver-streaked Case-bearer Coleophora limoniella that turned up here on 23rd July, one of 3 inland records in July of a species that had never turned up inland in Norfolk before.  I've also already blogged about a Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii at Derby Fen in June, and very soon I'll be writing about another one at home - again in a year when other observers have also recorded unusual numbers of these inland.  Well there was one more saltmarsh surprise in my North Elmham trap on 3rd August - a Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella.  This is another very unexpected record - until this year the furthest inland records in Norfolk were at Catfield Fen in the Broads and at Dersingham.  There was another at Derby Fen on 8th August but this one is by far the furthest inland record there has been in Norfolk...

Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Small Waved Umber was only my second here, indeed only my third anywhere, and Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella was also only my second here.

Small Waved Umber, North Elmham, 3rd August

Other moths new for the year were Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana and 2 Tawny Speckled Pugs.

Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, North Elmham, 3rd August

Tawny Speckled Pug, North Elmham, 3rd August

Other micros were 3 Bordered Carls Coptotriche marginea, Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 2 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, 2 Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermine agg. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, 2 Wainscot Smudges Ypsolopha scabrella, 6 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, 4 House Nebs Bryotropha domestica, 7 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 45 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 48 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 8 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella, 2 Beautiful Plumes Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

The rest of the macros were 2 Orange Swifts, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Riband Waves, Flame Carpet, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, 5 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, 2 Maple Pugs, Lime-speck Pug, Bordered Beauty, Early Thorn, 2 Scalloped Oaks, 5 Willow Beauties, Poplar Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 4 Dingy Footmen, Ruby Tiger, 3 Turnip Moths, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 8 Flame Shoulders, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 8 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Six-striped Rustics, Cabbage Moth, Common Wainscot, Marbled Beauty, 4 Straw Underwings, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, Twin-spotted Wainscot, Fen Wainscot, Rustic and 22 Straw Dots.

Mayflies included what I think is a Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus, but although I identified this at the time and let it go I omitted to add it to my notes or caption the photo, so I'm now having to identify it again from the photos which I never like doing with mayflies.  Also 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita.

Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus, North Elmham, 3rd August

There was a good selection of green and brown lacewings: 2 Chrysoperla carnea, 2 Cunctochrysa albolineata, Dichochrysa flavifrons, Hemerobius lutescens and Micromus variegatus.

Among the caddisflies Athripsodes albifrons was new for the year; there were also 2 Ithytrichia lamellaris, 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 3 Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus auricula and 1-2 Athripsodes aterrimus.

Athripsodes albifrons, North Elmham, 3rd August

The best of the bugs was Atractotomus parvulus, a new species for me.

Atractotomus parvulus (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

Deraeocoris lutescens was also new for the year, and other bugs were  Birch Shieldbug, Blepharidopterus angulatus and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis.

Deraeocoris lutescens, North Elmham, 3rd August

This barkfly was eventually identified as Valenzuela piceus, a scarce species according to the National Barkfly Recording Scheme.  There are only 9 records on NBN for the whole country, the nearest being in the Cambridge area, but that doesn't always mean a great deal as barkflies are one of the taxa that aren't well represented in NBN.

Valenzuela piceus, North Elmham, 3rd August

Among the beetles there were a dozen or so Bradycellus sp.  Usually these turn out to be Bradycellus verbasci and one of the two I retained did just so.  As soon as I looked at the other one under the microscope I had a feeling it was a different species and so it proved - my first Bradycellus harpalinus.  Other beetles included an Ophonus sp. that I couldn't quite resolve and another Aphodius rufipes.

Bradycellus harpalinus (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd August

A quick visit to the meadows produced Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla and a 7-spot Ladybird.

A new lacewing: Sympherobius pygmaeus

The moth trap highlight on 2nd June wasn't a moth, but a lacewing.  I aim to identify all the lacewings I catch now and it's not very often I find a new species.  This was a brown lacewing, though smaller and darker than the commoner species I catch regularly so I knew it was going to be something interesting.  It turned out to be Sympherobius pygmaeus.  There are Norfolk records from 1991 and 1994 but none since, unless there have been others in the last year or two that I've not yet heard about.

 Sympherobius pygmaeus, North Elmham, 2nd June

There were a couple of decent moths too - Oblique Carpet, my second example here of this species that is very scarce in Norfolk away from the Broads, and Scallop Shell - again my second example here though it turned out to be the first of 5 here this year.

 Oblique Carpet, North Elmham, 2nd June

Scallop Shell, North Elmham, 2nd June

Other new moths for the year were Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Sharp-angled Carpet and Light Emerald.

Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd June

Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd June

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham, 2nd June

Other moths that night were 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 7 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, 12 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 6 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 4 Common Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Treble Brown Spot, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 5 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, Mottled Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Common White Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Marbled Brown, Pale Tussock, 2 White Ermines, Cinnabar, 2 Heart and Darts, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Common Wainscots, Brown Rustic, 6 Treble Lines, Mottled Rustic, 2 Spectacles and 4 Straw Dots.

Caddisflies consisted of Plectrocnemia conspersa, Hydropsyche pellucidula, Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus sparsus, Micropterna lateralis and Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis, the first and last of which were both new for the year here.

Plectrocnemia conspersa, North Elmham, 2nd June

The next day my next-door neighbours popped round to ask me about some caterpillars they'd found in their garden.  I went round to have a look and found a communal web full of Small Eggar caterpillars (at least 30 visible).  With them breeding a stone's throw from my garden it's amazing I've never caught one, but this does seem to be a species that doesn't come to light readily.

Small Eggar caterpillars, North Elmham, 3rd June

Smooth Newt, Haworth's Pug, my first Leucospilapteryx and a return to Claxton Manor

The biggest surprise when I went down to check the moths on 5th August was a Smooth Newt on the sheet.  I've had a few fleeting glimpses of newts over the years but it's been a long time since I have had the opportunity to have a really good look at one.

Smooth Newt, North Elmham, 5th August

A new moth for me was Mugwort Slender Leucospilapteryx omisella.  (Note this page was edited in 2020 when I caught another and realised its correct identity - back in 2016 when this page was first published, it went down erroneously as Brown Oak Slender Acrocercops brongniardella.)

Mugwort Slender Leucospilapteryx omissella, North Elmham, 5th August

Other micros were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 2 Ribwort Slenders Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 4 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermines Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, 4 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 2 Dark Groundlings Bryotropha affinis, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, 11 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 32 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 14 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 4 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, 20 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

By far the best macro was a Haworth's Pug - only my second ever and first at home.

Haworth's Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 5th August

Six-striped Rustic was new for the year and the other macros were Drinker, 2 Pebble Hook-tips, Least Carpet, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 4 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, 3 Shaded Broad-bars, 4 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, Magpie Moth, Clouded Border, Early Thorn, Peppered Moth, Mottled Beauty, Poplar Hawkmoth, Iron Prominent, Pebble Prominent, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 7 Yellow-tails, Black Arches, 5 Rosy Footmen, 11 Dingy Footmen, 4 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 7 Common Footmen, 3 Ruby Tigers, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 6 Flame Shoulders, 16 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Nutmeg, Lychnis, Poplar Grey, Dun-bar, 4 Dark Arches, Flounced Rustic, 3 Uncertains, 4 Nut-tree Tussocks, Silver Y, 11 Straw Dots, Snout and 2 Fan-foots.

Six-striped Rustic, North Elmham, 5th August

Next day I saw a Southern Hawker in the garden - the first time I've positively identified one here.

That evening I joined others for the Norfolk Moth Survey event at Claxton Manor.  We went here last year and had a very successful time but this time it was later in the season and in far from perfect weather being quite clear and cool as well as a bit breezy.  The site where I set up was particularly challenging due to the breeze and the variety of moths coming to my light was very poor.

One feature of the night was good numbers of Bactra (30+) and I couldn't help but notice the remarkable variety in types shown.  I was pretty confident some would turn out to be Mottled Marbles Bactra furfurana although others looked like typical Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana.  I retained 5, selecting examples that showed a variety of appearances but none like typical lancealana.  Afterwards Ken mentioned that he had had a similar experience where he was trapping with a range of different-looking individuals, and he too retained a couple for checking.  Ken came back with the results of his first - they were 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana.  Perhaps all mine would turn out to be the much commoner lancealana after all?  Eventually I dissected mine and the first one, a male, was clearly Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana.  The other four were all females and while these looked promising for furfurana too I struggled to find really clear images of female genitalia of the various Bactra species to compare them too.  Eventually I decided to hunt out a typical-looking lancealana so I could compare them to that - fortunately the first one I found was a female and its genitalia were quite clearly different from the Claxton Manor examples.  At last I was satisfied to conclude that all 5 of the individuals I retained (and probably 10+ of the individuals seen) were Mottled Marbles Bactra furfurana.

Mottled Marbles Bactra furfurana (male top and 4 females below, gen det), Claxton Manor, 6th August

Other highlights at my sheet included Leopard Moth, Maple Prominent, Small Wainscot, Webb's Wainscot and 2 Crescents.

Leopard Moth, Claxton Manor, 6th August

Small Wainscot, Claxton Manor, 6th August

Webb's Wainscot, Claxton Manor, 6th August

Crescent, Claxton Manor, 6th August

Others included Bulrush Cosmet Limnaecia phragmitella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Smoky-barred Marble Lobesia abscisana, Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, 4 Brown China-marks Elophila nymphaeata, 15 Small China-marks Cataclysta lemnata, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Drinker, Common Carpet, Iron Prominent, 2 Dingy Footmen, Ruby Tiger, Flame Shoulder, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Six-striped Rustic, 2 Antler Moths, Southern Wainscot, Smoky Wainscot, Common Rustic, Rosy Rustic and Straw Dot.

Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, Claxton Manor, 6th August

I managed to get along to Ben's trap briefly and added Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Tiger and 2 Twin-spotted Wainscots to the tally, along with Common Wave along the track on the way.  I think it was after we'd packed up and we caught up with the others that I saw a Reed Dagger in someone's pot and two Coleophora which subsequently proved to be Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella (only my third) and Glasswort Case-bearer Coleophora salicorniae (a new moth for me).

Twin-spotted Wainscot, Claxton Manor, 6th August

So far I haven't worked out what this Ichneumon wasp was:

Ichneumon sp., Claxton Manor, 6th August

I always leave my home trap on when I go out on trips like this but it's not often I fair better at home than out in interesting habitat with a group of others.  On this occasion with a slightly disappointing night out at Claxton I ended up doing rather better at home with a couple of decent moths here.  But I'll leave that for my next post...