Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 10: Bells II and Shoots (Eucosma to Epiblema))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana - Totals of 8 in the garden between 12th July and 3rd August 2019 and 7 between 12th July and 2nd August 2020 - slightly above-average showings.  Also at the meadows on 7th July 2019 (2) and 18th July 2020.

Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th July 2020

Hoary Bell Eucosma cana - Totals of 50 in the garden between 23rd June and 28th July 2019 and 25 between 17th June and 9th August 2020.  The latter total was fairly typical but although the former was good it was less than half the 102 I recorded here in 2018.  Also 5 at the meadows and 2 at Bintree Wood.  Although some examples of this species are quite distinctive I find that others are very close to the hohenwartiana complex and I usually end up dissecting a few to confirm.  When I do it's not uncommon that they don't turn out to be the species I was expecting them to be.

Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

female Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019

Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana - A total of 9 in the garden between 10th and 25th July 2019.  Although I'd had much smaller numbers previously I had 19 here in 2018.  2020 was back to normal with singles on 9th and 24th July.  Many of these have been gen detted for confirmation however it should be noted that males cannot be determined from the two rarer species fulvana (never recorded locally but now known to occur in the Brecks) and parvulana (which I have now recorded here - see below) - I have included male hohenwartiana aggs. in the above totals.  Also one next door on 7th August 2019. 

male Bright Bells Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham, 10th July 2019

female Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019

female Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

male Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham, 9th July 2020

male Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana agg., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

Saw-wort Bell Eucosma parvulana - Among the hohenwartiana I had caught in 2018 there was one female that seemed to be intermediate between hohenwartiana and parvulana in what is perhaps the most obvious genitalic character that separates the two species.  Given the extreme unlikelihood of parvulana turning up here (it feeds on Saw-wort which, according to A Flora of Norfolk does not grow in Norfolk except at one or two sites along the Suffolk border) I put that down as evidence that this feature is more variable in hohenwartiana than the references suggest.  Then I caught another individual on which this character seemed to point even more strongly to parvulana, but bearing in mind my earlier conclusions and being unable to make out any of the other supporting features pointing to parvulana, I put this one down as hohenwartiana too.  Then on 22nd July 2019 I caught an individual that I fully expected to be hohenwartiana, but in this case the genitalia clearly pointed to parvulana.  Not only was the same feature pretty clear-cut but the supporting features were also there.  I checked with others and they agreed it was indeed Norfolk's first Eucosma parvulana!  Well, it didn't stand as the first for long because it turned out Keith Kerr had caught one a few days earlier, so it turned out to be the second record, though the jury is still out as to whether either of 2018's might have been too...  If so then that would suggest there is a breeding population nearby, which begs the question, what are they feeding on?  Is Saw-wort grown as a garden plant, or does it actually feed on something else?  It will be interesting to see if more of these crop up in future years. 

One caveat here... after enquiring locally about the 2018 specimens I've sent full details of 5 individuals that show one or more characters suggesting parvulana (including Keith's and my accepted records of parvulana and 3 much less convincing ones with mixed characters) to the authors of the paper which clarified the status and identification of parvulana (and fulvana) as distinct from hohenwartiana.  It remains to be seen what they make of the identifications.

female Saw-wort Bell Eucosma parvulana, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019 - showing the genitalia below

Marbled Bell Eucosma campoliliana - None.  I had singles of this attractive species here in 2016 and 2017 but not since.


Saltmarsh Bell Eucosma tripoliana - None.  This saltmarsh species occasionally wanders inland and I had 2 together in Bawdeswell in 2013, one here in 2016 and another 2 together here in 2018.


Mugwort Bell Eucosma metzneriana - None.  This recent colonist is now turning up in numbers in the Brecks.  It's not yet been found round here but I suspect it's only a matter of time.


Pale Lettuce Bell Eucosma conterminana - None.  I've never seen this species but it's widespread in Norfolk with mostly recent records, and has been recorded only just down the road from here.


Brindled Shoot Gypsonoma minutana - None.  One in my garden in 2016 is the only one I've seen so far.


Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana - At least 11 at home between 27th June and 30th July 2019 (not counted every night) and 10 between 12th June and 30th July 2020.  Just about my lowest annual totals here.  Elsewhere at Weybourne in 2019 and the meadows and Bintree Wood in 2020.

Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 30th July 2019

Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

Poplar Shoot Gypsonoma oppressana - None.  Given how widespread records are I would imagine I must be in with a chance of finding my first example of this species locally.  I don't 'count' moths I don't catch myself but I was given this one to identify by Geoff Turner after he caught it at Weybourne in 2019.

Poplar Shoot Gypsonoma oppressana, Weybourne, caught by Geoff Turner between 30th June and 4th July 2019

White-cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma sociana - None.  I have not yet recorded this species locally, though I do sometimes get Gypsonoma dealbana with white frons, supposedly the main distinguishing feature of sociana.  I can't help wondering if a lot of records of sociana are in fact dealbana given the over-emphasis of this unreliable feature in the literature and some websites, although it does seem that I live in a sociana 'hole' with the east Norfolk, coastal areas and the Brecks claiming the lion's share of county records.


Colt's-foot Bell Epiblema sticticana - None.  I've had several of these at a site near Bittering but apart from that there aren't any records closer than Ringland.  This species may be easier to find during the day than to light.


Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana - None.  I've not seen this species in North Elmahm but there is plenty of Spear Thistle growing at the meadows so it wouldn't surprise me if it's there.


Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana - Singles at the meadows on 24th June 2019 and 27th May 2020.  Although this species is described as "rare" I'm not sure that's accurate any more (most Norfolk records are from this decade so it probably was accurate 10 years ago).  There's a lot of Common Knapweed at the meadows so it wasn't a huge surprise to me to find it here.

female Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th June 2019

male Knapweed Bell Epiblema cirsiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella - 3 in the garden between 23rd June and 23rd July 2019 and then an unprecedented 9 here between 20th June and 17th July 2020.  I didn't have this species here at all in 2018 and only 2 in each of the previous 3 years.  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows and one at Weybourne.

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, North Elmham, 20th June 2020

Ragwort Bell Epiblema costipunctana - None.  I've found this species at a couple of sites in the Bittering area but not had one round here yet.  There's Ragwort growing at the meadows so hopefully I'll find it there in due course.


Next page: more Tortricidae

Some good mothing at the meadows

A return to poor form on 14th June with just 28 species of moth, though these included a lovely Beautiful Golden Y, new for the year.  The others were Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Treble Brown Spot, Silver-ground Carpet, Scorched Wing, 2 Brimstone Moths, Privet Hawk-moth, 3 White Ermines, 17 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, 3 Heart and Darts, Flame, 2 Flame Shoulders, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Common Wainscots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 5 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, 3 Treble Lines and 5 Straw Dots.

Beautiful Golden Y, North Elmham, 14th June

With such a small haul of moths in the trap it was barely light by the time I'd finished going through it, so I took the opportunity to get up to the meadows early.  I netted two Treble-spot Flat-bodies Telechrysis tripuncta as I wandered down the trap, a species that is only recorded in Norfolk about twice a year on average.  I'd only ever seen them twice before.

Treble-spot Flat-body Telechrysis tripuncta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

These were followed by a Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea, along with Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, 2 Timothy Tortrixes Aphelia paleana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella and Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus.

 Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

view across the River Wensum from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Other wildlife recorded that morning included Green Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus, the hoverfly Melanostoma scalare and a number of Kentish Snails and White-lipped Snails.

I returned to the meadows in the evening for some moth trapping.  It was one of the better night's trapping I've done here (maybe the best?) with 82 species including some nice ones, if nothing enormously unusual: Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, 4 Hedge Case-bearers Coleophora striatipennella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Black-headed Dwarfs Elachista atricomella, Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 6 Light Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia incertana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 35 Green Oak Tortrixes Tortrix viridana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 6 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, 3 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 5 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Red Piercers Lathronympha strigana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Lesser Pearls Sitochroa verticalis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 2 Fenland Pearls Anania perlucidalis, 2 Ghost Moths, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Green Carpet, 2 Sharp-angled Carpets, Lime-speck Pug, 4 Clouded Borders, 4 Scorched Wings, Mottled Beauty, Pale Oak Beauty, Common White Wave, Common Wave, Light Emerald, Eyed Hawk-moth, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, 5 Elephant Hawk-moths, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Marbled Browns, Lobster Moth, Four-dotted Footman, Common Footman, 4 White Ermines, 4 Buff Ermines, 10 Cinnabars, 5 Heart and Darts, 5 Flames, 4 Flame Shoulders, 4 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, 10 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Clay, Smoky Wainscot, 7 Common Wainscots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Poplar Grey, Grey Dagger, 6 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, Small Clouded Brindle, Large Nutmeg, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 3 Marbled Minors, 10 Middle-barred Minors, 5 Treble Lines, 3 Uncertains, Vine's Rustic, 2 Mottled Rustics, Green Silver-lines, 2 Burnished Brasses, 8 Straw Dots and 2 Snouts.

Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Small Magpie Anania hortulata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Ghost Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Poplar Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Swallow Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Pale Prominent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Lobster Moth (with Green Oak Tortrix), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Four-dotted Footman, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Cinnabar (with Green Oak Tortrix), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Small Square-spot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Clay, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Grey Dagger (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Small Angle Shades, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Small Clouded Brindle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Large Nutmeg, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Green Silver-lines, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Snout, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Other inverts recorded included Common Toad, 4 mayflies that I think were probably Caenis horaria, the caddisflies Phryganea grandis, 2 Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus flavicornis, the mirid bugs Phylus palliceps and Stenodema laevigata, a Great Blackclock beetle Pterostichus niger, a luminescing Glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca, the sawfly Tenthredo livida and the spider Nuctenea umbratica.

Common Toad, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Phylus palliceps, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Great Blackclock Pterostichus niger, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

luminescences from a Glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June

Tenthredo livida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June