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

Water Shrew gobbling up the moths

On the evening of Monday 14th August Dave and I headed off to Potter Heigham for some mothing.  Conditions weren't idea with a little more breeze than we would have liked but we thought it was worth a shot. There were certainly a lot of flies attracted to the light - if not quite so many moths.

My second ever Reed Smudge Orthotelia sparganella was one of the highlights but there were a number of interesting moths like Hemp-agrimony Plume Adaina microdactyla, Chevron and 2 Dotted Footmen. Unsurprisingly in the habitat there was a nice variety of Wainscots and the like including 4 Southern Wainscots, Smoky Wainscot, 5 Reed Daggers, 2 Small Wainscots, 3 Bulrush Wainscots, 2 Twin-spotted Wainscots, 4 Webb's Wainscots, 2 Small Rufous and Silky Wainscot.

Hemp-agrimony Plume Adaina microdactyla (male, gen det), Potter Heigham, 14th August

Chevron, Potter Heigham, 14th August

Dotted Footman, Potter Heigham, 14th August

Silky Wainscot, Potter Heigham, 14th August

Other moths were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Bulrush Cosmet Limnaecia phragmitella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 3 Cyclamen Tortrixes Clepsis spectrana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, 5 Wainscot Veneers Chilo phragmitella, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Giant Water-veneers Schoenobius gigantella, 4 Marsh Greys Eudonia pallida, 3 Brown China-marks Elophila nymphaeata, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, 2 Drinkers, Blood-vein, 2 Common Carpets, Lime-speck Pug, Double-striped Pug, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, Poplar Hawk-moth, Sallow Kitten, Pale Prominent, Yellow-tail, Black Arches, 3 Garden Tigers, Ruby Tiger, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 4 Flame Shoulders, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Least Yellow Underwing, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, Six-striped Rustic, Nutmeg, Cabbage Moth, 2 Dog's Tooths, Antler Moth, 2 Dark Arches, 3 Common Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic, 2 Burnished Brasses, 6 Gold Spots and 3 Straw Dots.

Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, Potter Heigham, 14th August

One visitor to the sheet beneath one of the MV lights was a very welcome surprise, even if it was gobbling up moths ten to the dozen.  It was this Water Shrew.  Technically a lifer for me though I've seen 2-3 run across the path in front of me that I've been 99% sure about plus one or two dead animals.  Great to see one up close like this.  It sniffed a few flies but largely ignored them in favour of the larger juicier moths.

Water Shrew, Potter Heigham, 14th August

Another lifer was the only caddisfly I retained for checking - Holocentropus picicornis.  The typical form has yellow mottling like many other caddisflies in the Polycentropidae family so I assume this is the form aurata which has unmarked yellowish-brown wings.

Holocentropus picicornis (male), Potter Heigham, 14th August

A reasonable selection of moths at home that night including a Little Cosmet Mompha raschkiella which I'd only added to my garden list in July. A Rush Marble Bactra lancealana was an interesting form - I think moths looking like this are often put down as robustana but the genitalia seem to confirm this one as lancealana.   Bactra furfurana also has a form quite similar to this - I think this genus is harder to identify than some people give it credit for - and gen detting them isn't always easy either.

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 14th August

Other moths were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, 6 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 3 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 12 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Small Purple and Gold (Mint Moth) Pyrausta aurata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 9 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Orange Swift, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, 3 Common Carpets, 5 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 3 Willow Beauties, Pale Prominent, Dingy Footman, 4 Flame Shoulders, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 6 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Square-spotted Clays, Burnished Brass, 2 Spectacles, 7 Straw Dots and Pinion-streaked Snout.

Small Purple and Gold (aka Mint Moth) Pyrausta aurata, North Elmham, 14th August

Lacewings and caddisflies consisted of Chrysoperla carnea agg., Cunctochrysa albolineata, Ithytrichia lamellaris, Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus lunatus. There was a Forest Bug and the beetle list was Ilybius ater, 4 Bradycellus verbasci, Nicrophorus investigator and Aphodius rufipes.

Wet night reaps rewards

Friday night before last (12th June) was a wet one.  I should have left my trap in the open-fronted woodstore but I didn't expect quite so much rain so had it on a sheet in the middle of the garden as usual.  Come the morning the trap was still going strong but things were a bit damp.  Any moths foolish enough to land on the sheet were swimming on it.  I carefully rescued as many as I could in order to preserve them enough to be able to identify them at least, and it was clear that a good variety of smaller moths were involved.  Among those that could only be identified once they'd dried out were Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella, Purple Bar and 5 Clouded Silvers, all new for the year and mostly in a pretty shocking state of repair.

 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma nebulella, North Elmham, 12th June

Inside the trap things were a bit drier, at least for the most part (quite a bit of water had dripped in but most of the eggboxes were dry).  Perhaps the highlight and good to see in the garden were 2 Small Elephant Hawkmoths.

 Small Elephant Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 12th June

Also new for the year, at least for the garden, were Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, 4 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Broken-barred Carpet, Lime-speck Pug, Green Pug, Scorched Wing, 2 Pale Oak Beauties and Common Wave.

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 12th June

Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, North Elmham, 12th June

Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, North Elmham, 12th June

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, North Elmham, 12th June

Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, North Elmham, 12th June

Lime-speck Pug, North Elmham, 12th June

Green Pug, North Elmham, 12th June

Scorched Wing, North Elmham, 12th June

Pale Oak Beauty, North Elmham, 12th June

The rest were Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella (gen det), 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 4 Common Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Flame Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Garden Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 4 Green Carpets, 2 Mottled Pugs, 5 Common Pugs, 2 Grey Pugs, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Common White Wave, 3 Light Emeralds, 2 Marbled Browns, Buff-tip, 2 Pale Tussocks, 2 Orange Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 6 Heart and Darts, 4 Small Square-spots, 2 Common Wainscots, 2 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 4 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Marbled Minor (gen det), 2 Middle-barred Minors, 11 Treble Lines, Spectacle and 7 Straw Dots. 

Clouded-bordered Brindle, North Elmham, 12th June

Found this spider in the house next day - any idea what species it is?

unidentified spider, North Elmham, 13th June