Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Case-bearers (Coleophoridae) (Part 4)

CASE-BEARERS (COLEOPHORIDAE) continued


Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella - Totals of 128 trapped at home between 25th May and 29th June 2019 and 79 between 20th May and 22nd June 2020, although on the busiest days some of these were not gen detted.  Peaks of 28 on 3rd and 7th June 2019 and 14 on 26th May and 12th June 2020.  2019 was my best year for this species although I had a higher count of 51 in 2018.  This is my commonest Coleophora here.  Also 12 confirmed from the Cathedral Meadows and singles at Bintree Wood, Frost's Common and Hills and Holes.  Typically this species is distinctly plainer (other than the pale costa) than alticolella and glaucicolella however there is variation.  Very occasionally a plain individual turns out to be one of the other species and caespititiella can have faint pale streaking inside the costa, albeit rarely as clear as it usually is on the other 2 species.

male Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, North Elmham, 25th May 2019

male and female Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, North Elmham, 7th June 2019

female Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, North Elmham, 16th June 2019

female Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, North Elmham, 20th May 2020

female Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th June 2020

female Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, North Elmham, 13th June 2020

Jointed-rush Case-bearer Coleophora tamesis - None.  I've never seen this species but although it's described as rare there are records from a little further up the valley so it's a possibility here.


Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella - 2 at the meadows on 25th May followed by 1 here on 1st June and another 10 here between 6th and 23rd July.  Also 2 at Weybourne.  11 here is a good tally - numbers fluctuate quite a lot with 17 in 2016 but only singles in 2017 and 2018.  A similar pattern in 2020 with the first at the meadows (on 17th May) well before those at home (5 between 26th June and 23rd July).

male Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

female Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

male Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

male Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

female Grey Rush Case-bearers Coleophora glaucicolella, North Elmham, 22nd July 2020

Wood-rush Case-bearer Coleophora otidipennella - None.  I've only ever had one here, in 2017.


Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella - 8 trapped here between 25th May and 23rd June 2019 and 14 between 21st May and 15th June 2020, my best years for this species here (previous annual totals varying from 1-5).  Also recorded at the meadows on 6 dates.

male Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, North Elmham, 3rd June 2019

female Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

female Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, North Elmham, 21st May 2020

male Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, North Elmham, 31st May 2020

male Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th June 2020

female Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, North Elmham, 15th June 2020

Small Rush Case-bearer Coleophora taeniipennella - One caught in the garden on 23rd July 2019, my third following singles here in 2016 and 2017.  None in 2020.

male Small Rush Case-bearer Coleophora taeniipennella, North Elmham, 23rd July

Black Bindweed Case-bearer Coleophora therinella - One trapped at Weybourne on 5th July 2019, the 9th record for Norfolk.  Despite the paucity of records I've had this species here in 2016 and twice at my last house in Bawdeswell (when I was only retaining a minority of Coleophora for confirmation). 

male Black Bindweed Case-bearer Coleophora therinella, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella - A new moth for the garden when one was trapped on 4th August 2019, followed by a second on 9th August and a third on 9th August 2020.  Also one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  Although this species requires gen detting to separate from the next species, the small size and pale costa was a strong clue on a couple of these.

female Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella, Weybourne, 5th July

female Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella, North Elmham, 4th August

male Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella, North Elmham, 9th August

female Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella, North Elmham, 9th August 2020

Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella - Just the one in 2019, here on 16th July, and none in 2020.  Only one in 2018 too but I have had as many as 12 in a year (2016).

female Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

Pale Orache Case-bearer Coleophora versurella - Singles in the garden trap on 25th July 2019 and 7th August 2020, and one at the meadows on 18th July 2020.  I had only ever recorded one before, and never here in North Elmham.

male Pale Orache Case-bearer Coleophora versurella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

female Pale Orache Case-bearer Coleophora versurella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

male Pale Orache Case-bearer Coleophora versurella, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

Next page: more Coleophora

Mompha raschkiella and Anarsia spartiella new for the garden

A rather fine Little Cosmet Mompha raschkiella was the highlight on Wednesday 5th July.  It was new for the garden and in fact only my second anywhere, and the first was such a worn specimen that I had to dissect it to work out what it was.  I'd not seen one in all its glory before and they're a lovely little moth even if my photos don't do it justice.

Little Cosmet Mompha raschkiella, North Elmham, 5th July

Other moths that were new for the year here were Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens and Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana.

Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 5th July

Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, North Elmham, 5th July

Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, North Elmham, 5th July

The rest were 3 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 19 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 2 Yellow Satin Veneers Crambus perlella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Chinese Character, Buff Arches, 2 Blood-veins, 4 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, 3 Double-striped Pugs, Small Yellow Wave, Clouded Border, Early Thorn, Privet Hawk-moth, Yellow-tail, Round-winged Muslin, 5 Rosy Footmen, 11 Dingy Footmen, 20 Common Footmen, Buff Ermine, Heart and Dart, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown-line Bright Eye, 5 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Dark Arches, 2 Common Rustics, 27 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips and 2 Fan-foots.

Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, North Elmham, 5th July

Buff Arches, North Elmham, 5th July

Rustic, North Elmham, 5th July

A variety of other insects trapped included the mayfly Serratella ignita, the caddisflies Hydropsyche siltalai, Hydropsyche pellucidula, Goera pilosa and Leptocerus tineiformis, 3 more of the leafhopper Iassus lanio and the beetles Brown Chafer and Lagria hirta.  There was also a Common Frog and earlier a Small Tortoiseshell had come into my study.

Next day there was another new moth for the garden: Small Crest Anarsia spartiella.

Small Crest Anarsia spartiella, North Elmham, 6th July

Brown Scallop and Double Lobed were new for the year here and species I don't see here more than once or twice a year usually; Lesser Yellow Underwing was also new for the year.

Brown Scallop, North Elmham, 6th July

Double Lobed, North Elmham, 6th July

Lesser Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 6th July

Another Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana was of note.

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 6th July

Other moths that night were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, 3 Little Ermels Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, 4 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, 3 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 2 Many-plumed Moths Alucita hexadactyla, 15 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, 2 Ermine Knot-horns Phycitodes binaevella, 3 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, 7 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Shaded Broad-bar, Small Rivulet, 2 Clouded Borders, Scorched Carpet, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Willow Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, Coxcomb Prominent, Round-winged Muslin, 5 Rosy Footmen, 6 Dingy Footmen, 12 Common Footmen, Buff Ermine, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Double Square-spots, Nutmeg, Clay, 4 Smoky Wainscots, Slender Brindle, Common Rustic, 15 Uncertains, Rustic, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Another or the same Common Frog was looking on and other insects included the green lacewings Cucnctochrysa albolineata and Dichochrysa flavifrons, the caddisflies Ecnomus tenellus and Athripsodes aterrimus and the beetle Lagria hirta.

Next day another Small Tortoiseshell appeared in the house, there was a Meadow Brown, Common Wasp and, new for the garden apparently (though surely not really), Red-tailed Bumblebee.

Small Tortoiseshell, North Elmham, 7th July

Best moth got away

Probably the best moth on the night of 3rd July got away, though I'm still hoping to recover it.  It was an Acleris sp. of the comariana/laterana type.  Every such Acleris I've ever checked has been laterana - I'm yet to see a confirmed (or even suspected) comariana.  But this was early (my earliest laterana so far is late July) and comariana starts flying early.  There had to be a good chance this was my first Stawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana.  I took one photo, went to take a better one and it scuttled.  It didn't exaclty fly, just fluttered along the desktop to a pile of papers.  I lifted the edge of the papers expecting to see it, but nothing.  I went through the pile piece by piece checking each one until I got to the bottom, and the moth still hadn't appeared!  I suspect it was on its last legs and may still be in my study somewhere.  Maybe when I have a good spring clean I'll find it...  That might be a while!

Acleris laterana agg., North Elmham, 3rd July - in view of the date perhaps most likely Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana, but got away before it could be confirmed

A few other moths were new for the year: 2 Speckled Case-bearers Coleophora sternipennella, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, Barred Yellow, July Highflyer and Swallow-tailed Moth.

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 3rd July

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 3rd July

July Highflyer, North Elmham, 3rd July

Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, North Elmham, 3rd July

Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, North Elmham, 3rd July

Speckled Case-bearer Colephora sternipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd July

Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, North Elmham, 3rd July

Other micros were Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 5 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 3 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 8 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 4 False Cacao Moths Ephestia unicolorella and Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella.

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 3rd July

False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, North Elmham, 3rd July

The other macros were Buff Arches, Small Fan-footed Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, Barred Straw, Green Carpet, Clouded Border, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawkmoth, 2 Common Footmen, 10 Buff Ermines, 7 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, 2 Flame Shoulders, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Double Square-spots, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, 3 Dark Arches, Dusky Brocade, 2 Marbled Minors, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 2 Middle-barred Minors, 4 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, 2 Burnished Brasses, 2 Spectacles, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips, 3 Straw Dots, 5 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Small Angle Shades, North Elmham, 3rd July

Caddisflies included my first confirmed Agrypnia varia, probably Hydropsyche siltalai and 3 Mystacides longicornis.  On the beetle front Summer Chafer was my first this year.

Agrypnia varia, North Elmham, 3rd July

Summer Chafer, North Elmham, 3rd July