Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Case-bearers (Coleophoridae) (Part 3)

CASE-BEARERS (COLEOPHORIDAE) continued


Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella - None.  I had 2 of these at home in 2018 but may have overlooked others as these are rather difficult to separate even with reference to the genitalia.


White Sallow Case-bearer Coleophora albidella - Caught in the garden on 13th and 19th June 2020.  2019 was my first blank year for what is usually my commonest white Coleophora.

male White Sallow Case-bearer Coleophora albidella, North Elmham, 19th June 2020

White Oak Case-bearer Coleophora kuehnella - None.  I've not recorded this species locally yet but it's quite widespread so must be a possibility.


Forest Case-bearer Coleophora ibipennella - An occupied case at the meadows on an Oak leaf on 6th June 2019.  I took this home and the adult emerged from it on 27th June.  Also 1-2 trapped at home, one on 17th July 2019 that I'm not going to record (I'd pretty confidently reached the ID but in trying to get the genitalia to lie flat I ended up damaging it such that I couldn't quite be 100% sure) and one on 24th July.  I've only recorded this species here once before (2016).  None in 2020.

occupied case of Forest Case-bearer Coleophora ibipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019

male Forest Case-bearer Coleophora ibipennella, 27th June 2019, emerged from case collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 6th June 2019

White Birch Case-bearer Coleophora betulella - One caught at home on 10th July 2019.  I first recorded this species here in 2018, and after failing to record albidella in 2019 I started to wonder if I may have misidentified this species as albidella in the past.  However with this in mind I took extra care in 2020 and only recorded albidella (and no betulella) then, so perhaps my fears were unfounded.  The differences in genitalia between some of these white Coleophora are pretty subtle to say the least.

male White Birch Case-bearer Coleophora betulella, North Elmham, 10th July 2019

Knapweed Case-bearer Coleophora conspicuella - None.  I've never caught this species, which isn't surprising as it had never been recorded in Norfolk until 2020.  Dave Norgate caught a large and distinctive Coleophora in his garden in Toftwood on 5th July and asked me to have a look at it.  I didn't recognise it at all but eventually figured out it was either vibicigerella, conspicuella or vibicella, none of which had been recorded in Norfolk before.  With a 21mm wingspan the size was within range for vibicella but far too big for the other two (max 17.5mm and 14mm according to the literature), however I wasn't convinced it was vibicella so agreed to gen det it.  It proved to be a female conspicuella, a species that was recorded in Suffolk for the first time in 2019 (as a larva, with an adult caught at the same location in 2020).  An absolute BEAST!

female Knapweed Case-bearer Coleophora conspicuella, caught by Dave Norgate at Toftwood (Dereham) on 5th July 2020

Downland Case-bearer Coleophora lixella - None.  I've caught this species here once, in 2015.


Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta - One in the garden trap on 25th May 2019 was a new moth for the garden, but followed by 2 more in 2020 (on 17th and 21st May).  Also on 21st May 2020, one caught at Hills and Holes.

female Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta, North Elmham, 25th May 2019

Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta, North Elmham, 17th May 2020

female Gorse Case-bearer Coleophora albicosta, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella - None in 2019 but one caught in the garden on 12th June 2020 and another at Bintree Wood the following night.  I've caught this species here 3 times previously, in 2015 and 2017.

male Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

male Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

Next page: more Coleophora

Two more trigeminella on the best night of the year?

I've just realised that the Black-blothched Marble Endothenia nigricostana that I posted about yesterday was my 750th species of moth in my garden - another milestone reached.  Reached, and galloped past the following night with another four new moths for the garden.

The night of Wednesday 21st June was probably the best night of the year with 325 moths of 114 species, though that's quite a long way short of the best few nights of 2016.  There were no lifers among the moths but as I say, four new for the house including one remarkable record.  The Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella wasn't a surprise addition to the garden list, with the next door neighbour having a large Ash tree in their garden, and other Ashes growing nearby.  Netted Argent Argyresthia retinella wasn't much of a surprise either.  A Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella was a little less expected being a reedbed species but what was a real surprise was 2 Scarce Thorn Case-bearers Coleophora trigeminella.  This is the moth which I recorded at Warham Greens five nights earlier, the second ever for Norfolk - so these were the third and fourth for Norfolk!

Ash Bud Moth Prays fraxinella, North Elmham, 21st June

Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella, North Elmham, 21st June

Scarce Thorn Case-bearers Coleophora trigeminella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Others new for the year here were Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, 3 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, Large Emerald, Least Carpet, 2 Shaded Pugs, Round-winged Muslin, Brown-line Bright Eye and Dingy Shears.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 21st June

Hawthorn Argent Argyresthia bonnetella, North Elmham, 21st June

Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, North Elmham, 21st June

Least Carpet, North Elmham, 21st June

Dingy Shears, North Elmham, 21st June

3 Cnephasia sp. escaped and a very worn male Argyresthia was practically bare so couldn't be identified from external features.  So far I've been unable to match its genitalia to any species, though I can't find any images of male dilectella genitalia to compare it to (or a few of the rarer species).  The other micros were 3 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, 3 London Dowds Blastobasis lacticolella, 4 Buff Cosmets Mompha ochraceella, Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, 5 Hawthorn Cosmets Blastodacna hellerella, 6 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 9 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 8 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, 12 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Brown Elm Bell Epinotia abbreviana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 23 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 10 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 4 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

dark form of Common Marble Celypha lacunana, North Elmham, 21st June

Brown Elm Bell Epinotia abbreviana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

The other macros were 2 Common Emeralds (including an exceptionally small individual), 3 Small Blood-veins, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 9 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 19 Riband Waves, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Phoenixes, 3 Barred Straws, 2 Barred Yellows, Blue-bordered Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Currant Pug, Common Pug, 2 V-Pugs, 4 Green Pugs, Double-striped Pug, 2 Small Yellow Waves, Clouded Border, 2 Scorched Wings, 2 Brimstone Moths, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, 2 Engraileds, 4 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 6 Clouded Silvers, 3 Elephant Hawk-moths, Coxcomb Prominent, 4 Rosy Footmen, Dingy Footman, 8 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Poplar Grey, 3 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, 3 Dark Arches, Middle-barred Minor, Treble Lines, 13 Uncertains, Marbled White Spot, Green Silver-lines, 5 Beautiful Hook-tips, 3 Straw Dots, 5 Snouts, 3 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 21st June

If the moths were good then the other insects were just as good!  So good in fact that I think I'll save them for another post!

Catching up from 2-3 weeks ago

I've a lot of catching up to do... too many moths and not enough time to process them all!

Anyway, going back now to Sunday 21st June.  Just 2 new for the year: Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana and Common Carpet.

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham, 21st June

Other stuff that night were Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, 3 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Ghost Moth, Riband Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, Privet Hawkmoth, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock, 2 Orange Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, White Ermine, 8 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, 5 Heart and Darts, 3 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Marbled Minors (gen det), Middle-barred Minor, 2 Treble Lines, 2 Burnished Brass and Straw Dot.

Ghost Moth, North Elmham, 21st June

Lesser Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 21st June

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham, 21st June

Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, North Elmham, 21st June

Next day I found a Pale Tussock at work, while home produced a relatively meagre catch of 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, Ghost Moth, 2 Common Swifts, Silver-ground Carpet, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock, Common Footman, 5 Buff Ermines, 4 Heart and Darts, 2 Treble Lines and Burnished Brass.  Also this beetle; I think it's Malthinus flaveolus but there are similar species.

probable Malthinus flaveolus, North Elmham, 22nd June

Poor weather ensured a very poor catch on Tuesday night: Barred Marble Celypha striana, Treble Brown Spot, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock, Buff Ermine, Heart and Dart, Large Yellow Underwing and Ingrailed Clay.

Things improved on Wednesday night, the best of 63 species being a Four-dotted Footman.

Four-dotted Footman, North Elmham, 24th June

Also new for the year were Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, Clay and 2 Beautiful Hook-tips.

Dwarf Cream Wave, North Elmham, 24th June

Beautiful Hook-tip, North Elmham, 24th June

Clay, North Elmham, 24th June

Also that night were Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella (gen det), Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella (gen det), 3 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrices Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (gen det), 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Plum Tortrices Hedya pruniana, 3 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, Treble Brown Spot, Riband Wave, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, 6 Common Pugs, Green Pug, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, 3 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Privet Hawkmoth, Pale Prominent, Marbled Brown, Buff-tip, Pale Tussock, 5 Common Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 8 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 3 Heart and Clubs, 4 Heart and Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, 3 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Small Square-spots, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Common Wainscots, 2 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, 5 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, 2 Marbled Minors, Middle-barred Minor, 8 Treble Lines, 3 Uncertains, 9 Straw Dots and Snout. 

 Hedge Shades Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 24th June

Ligjt Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th June

Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, North Elmham, 24th June

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 24th June

Privet Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 24th June

Cedestis subfasciella and Lobster

A Brown Pine Ermel Cedestis subfasciella was the best of a good night on Tuesday of last week, a new species for me.

Brown Pine Ermel Cedestis subfasciella, North Elmham, 16th June

Several species were new for the year, at least for the garden, including this fine Lobster Moth...

Lobster Moth, North Elmham, 16th June

...and this Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella, mainly a Breckland species in Norfolk...

 Little Grass-veneer Latytes cerussella, North Elmham, 16th June

...and Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Snout and Fan-foot.

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham, 16th June

Snout, North Elmham, 16th June

 Fan-foot, North Elmham, 16th June

Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, North Elmham, 16th June

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

The other moths recorded last Tuesday were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 5 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella (gen det), White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 4 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 2 Common Swifts, 7 Silver-ground Carpets, Mottled Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawkmoth, Buff-tip, 4 Common Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 5 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, 6 Brown Rustics, Dusky Brocade, 2 Marbled Minors (gen det), Middle-barred Minor, 5 Treble Lines, Burnished Brass, 2 Spectacles and 3 Straw Dots. 

 Dusky Brocade, North Elmham, 16th June

 Marbled Minors (female & male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

  Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, North Elmham, 16th June