Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Case-bearers (Coleophoridae) (Part 5)

CASE-BEARERS (COLEOPHORIDAE) continued


Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella - Singles trapped in the garden on 29th June and 9th July 2019 and 30th July 2020.  Previously I've had one in 2015 and 3 in 2017.  This species appears to be increasing in Norfolk with all but one of the records in the last decade.

female Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

male Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

Mugwort Case-bearer Coleophora artemisicolella - A completely new moth for me, trapped at home on 18th July 2019 and then netted at dusk at Titchwell on 21st July.  None in 2020.

male Mugwort Case-bearer Coleophora artemisicolella, North Elmham, 18th July 2019

Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi - One caught in the garden on 24th June 2019 but none in 2020.  Not quite annual but this species averages just over one per year here.

male Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella - 3 in the garden between 18th May and 17th June 2020 but none here in 2019.  I have averaged 3 a year here since 2015 and 2019 was my first blank year.  Elsewhere one caught at the meadows in 2019 and 3 in 2020 (including my latest ever on 7th August).  Although I wouldn't go as far as calling this species distinctive, many are sufficiently unlike any other common species that you can make a pretty good educated guess that you're dealing with this species before confirming with gen det.

female Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

male Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, North Elmham, 17th June 2020

male Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Ochreous Case-bearer Coleophora solitariella - None.  I caught one of these at home in 2016 but I think that's the only modern record of an adult in Norfolk so perhaps I shouldn't expect another very soon.


Yarrow Case-bearer Coleophora argentula - One caught in the garden on 23rd July 2020.  I caught 4 here between 2015 and 2017 but none in 2018 or 2019.  2 larval cases on Yarrow at the meadows on 30th August 2020.

male Yarrow Case-bearer Coleophora argentula, North Elmham, 23rd July 2020

larval case of Yarrow Case-bearer Coleophora argentula, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th August 2020

Agrimony Case-bearer Coleophora folicularis - None.  Despite having 3 confirmed records from Bawdeswell I've only caught one of these here, in 2018.


Dusted Case-bearer Coleophora adspersella - One at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020, only the 8th record for Norfolk and the first since 2017.  I've never caught this species here in North Elmham but I had one at Bawdeswell shortly before moving here in 2014.

male Dusted Case-bearer Coleophora adspersella, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora paripennella - Singles caught in my garden on 24th June 2019 and 17th July 2020, my third and fourth (previous ones here in 2015 and 2016).

male Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

male Dark Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella - None in 2019, my first blank year since 2015, but to make up for it 5 between 16th July and 7th August 2020.  I caught a total of 6 here over the previous 3 years.

Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella, North Elmham, 16th July 2020

Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

Glasswort Case-bearer Coleophora salicorniae - None.  With this being a saltmarsh species it's not one I'm especially likely to find locally, but it does sometimes wander inland so there's a chance.  I may have missed my best chance though as there were several in 2020.


Next page: Elachistidae

Two nice new moths for the garden and a rare but distinctive caddisfly

Saturday 26th May was a quieter night than the previous night but there was still plenty of interest.  Best of all was this Triple-barred Argent Argyresthia trifasciata, new for the garden and only my second ever - and a beautiful little moth.

Triple-barred Argent Argyresthia trifasciata, North Elmham, 26th May

Other moths that were new for the year were Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Common Carpet, Flame and Marbled Minor agg., though the last of these doesn't count as it got away preventing a species-level ID.

Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea sermifulvella, North Elmham, 26th May

Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th May

Common Carpet, North Elmham, 26th May

Flame, North Elmham, 26th May

Other moths were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, Green Carpet, 6 Mottled Pugs, Currant Pug, 4 Common Pugs, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Pale Tussocks, 2 Orange Footmen, 5 White Ermines, Cinnabar, Flame Shoulder, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Common Wainscot and 4 Treble Lines.

Setaceous Hebrew Character, North Elmham, 26th May

There was only one caddisfly in the trap but it was a highly distinctive creature that I didn't recognise at all.  It turned out to be Limnephilus elegans, a species of raised bogs and fens that according to the RES handbook is "Local in New Forest, north Midlands, N England, Wales and Scotland."  Well I don't know about you but in view of that I wouldn't expect to find this species in a central Norfolk garden!  But there seemed to be no mistaking it and a quick check with the county recorder confirmed that there is at least one county record (at Ranworth).  But it does seem to be pretty rare anywhere in East Anglia, so probably my best caddisfly yet.

Limnephilus elegans, North Elmham, 26th May

By catch also included a couple of new species for the garden, Common Red Ant Myrmica rubra (I'm sure that wasn't really new for the garden of course, but its the first red ant here that I've looked at critically) and the beetle Bembedion lampros.  Also the mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum and a Common Wasp.

Next day this Cream Wave was on my gate, a new species for the year.

Cream Wave, North Elmham, 27th May

In the trap that night the highlight was a Large Brindled Clothes Moth Triaxomera parasitella, my second new moth for the garden in consecutive nights.

Large Brindled Clothes Moth Triaxomera parasitella, North Elmham, 27th May

Also new for the year were Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Blood-vein, 2 Sandy Carpets, Brown Rustic and a fully-identified Marbled Minor.

Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteucha culmella, North Elmham, 27th May

Blood-vein, North Elmham, 27th May

Sandy Carpet, North Elmham, 27th May

Brown Rustic, North Elmham, 27th May

Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 27th May

Other moths were Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, 2 Common Pugs, 2 White Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, Shears, 2 Common Wainscots and 2 Treble Lines.

Hot on the heels of the previous day's indivual there was another Bembidion lampros.

Bembedion lampros, North Elmham, 27th May

An evening stroll locally produces two new moths

On the evening of Saturday 9th June I took a walk round Beetley Common and the adjacent private fishing pits.  I found a nice selection of moths including two lifers, Broad-barred Midget Phyllonorycter froelichiella and Brindled Argent Argyresthia curvella.

Broad-barred Midget Phyllonorycter froelichiella (female), Beetley Common, 9th June

Brindled Argent Argyresthia curvella (female), Beetley Common, 9th June

The others were Oak Carl Tischeria ekebladella, 3 Cork Moths Nemapogon cloacella, White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, 25 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, Grey-streaked Smudge Plutella porrectella, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 3 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 14 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Gold Swift, 4 Brown Silver-lines and 2 Straw Dots.

Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella (male, gen det), Beetley Common, 9th June

There were lots of caddisflies displaying around the lakeside willows.  Some, if not all, of them were Mystacides longicornis.

Mystacides longicornis (male), Beetley Common, 9th June

 This shieldbug appears to be a final instar Forest Bug (aka Red-legged Shieldbug).

final instar Forest Bug (Red-legged Shieldbug), Beetley Common, 9th June

This Banded Demoiselle was among the dragonflies.

Banded Demoiselle, Beetley Common, 9th June

Among the moths at home that night, Small Yellow Wave, 2 Heart and Clubs and Tawny Marbled Minor were new species for the year.

Small Yellow Wave, North Elmham, 9th June

Heart and Club, North Elmham, 9th June

Tawny Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 9th June

Other moths in the trap were Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 London Dowds Blastobasis lacticolella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 10 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Barred Straw, Sharp-angled Carpet, 4 Common Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, Light Emerald, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, 2 White Ermines, 9 Buff Ermines, 4 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, 2 Brown Rustics, Middle-barred Minor, 2 Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 6 Straw Dots and Snout.

Beetles were represented by Aphodius rufipes (new for the year) and Cantharis rufa.

Aphodius rufipes, North Elmham, 9th June

A new bee on a rare flower

After a few quieter nights things picked up a bit on Saturday 8th June with 8 moths new for the year here: Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Small Fan-footed Wave, Barred Straw, Grey Pug, Common Footman and Pale-shouldered Brocade.

Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th June

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, North Elmham, 8th June

Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, North Elmham, 8th June

Barred Straw, North Elmham, 8th June

Grey Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th June

Common Footman, North Elmham, 8th June

Pale-shouldered Brocade, North Elmham, 8th June

Other moths in the trap were Yellow-triangle Slender Caloptilia alchimiella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 London Dowds Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 6 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, 2 Common Swifts, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, 3 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, 5 Willow Beauties, 2 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, Flame, 8 Ingrailed Clays, Bright-line Brown-eye, 6 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Marbled Minor, 2 Middle-barred Minors, Marbled White Spot, 16 Straw Dots, 4 Snouts and Small Fan-foot.

Also new for the year here was the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus.

Hemerobius humulinus, North Elmham, 8th June

I initially thought a reddish orange bug was going to be Phylus palliceps, a species I've trapped here before, but the black head makes it Phylus melanocephalus - a completely new species for me.

Phylus melanocephalus, North Elmham, 8th June

Also in the trap were the caddisfly Hydropsyche siltalai and the soldier beetle Cantharis rufa.

Cantharis rufa, North Elmham, 8th June

Next day I popped in to the patch where Norfolk's only Crested Cow-wheat was flowering.  I think this bee feeding on it was my first Vestal Cuckoo Bee Bombus vestalis but I'm not 100% sure I can rule out Gypsy Cuckoo Bee Bombus bohemicus (which would also be new for me).  Please let me know if you confirm either way.

Crested Cow-wheat, Rawhall Wood, 9th June

probable Vestal Cuckoo Bee Bombus vestalis on (and off) Crested Cow-wheat, Rawhall Wood, 9th June

Also 4 Swollen-thighed Beetles here along with Speckled Wood and Azure Damselfly.

Moths at Ryburgh included White-barred Gold Micropterix aruncella, 4 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Yellow Shell and Sharp-angled Carpet.

White-barred Gold Micropterix aruncella, Ryburgh, 9th June

Butterflies included Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Large Skipper while dragonflies were represented by Banded Demoiselle, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly.