Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 7: Marbles I (Eudemis to Lobesia))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Diamond-back Marble Eudemis profundana - Singles in the garden on 23rd July 2019 and 25th July 2020 were my first here since 2016 (one before that in 2015).  Also one at the meadows on 4th August 2019.  For what is quite a variable species the 2 in 2019 were surprisingly similar in appearance.

Diamond-back Marble Eudemis profundana, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Diamond-back Marble Eudemis profundana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Willow Marble Apotomis lineana - None.  I haven't recorded this species locally yet but I can't see any reason why it shouldn't occur in this part of the Wensum Valley.


White-shouldered Marble Apotomis turbidana - None.  I've not recorded this species in North Elmham yet but it must be on the cards.


Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana - Singles in the garden trap on 19th and 24th July and 12th August 2019 and on 7 dates between 1st and 29th Augsut 2020.  I don't get this species (or genus) here every year, and 7 was the most I've ever had.  Also one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019 and one at Bintree Wood on 24th July 2020.  I suspect that in the past I may have misidentified some betuletana with a strong hook-shaped white indentation into the darker base as capreana as I have come to realise in the last 2-3 years that this feature is more variable than I had once appreciated.  Differences in genitalia aren't all that obvious to me either, so it's not inconceivable that I've gone wrong even after examining them under the microscope, though I think I have a better understanding of the differences now.

male Birch Marble Apotoomis betuletana, North Elmham, 19th July 2019

Birch Marble Apotoomis betuletana, North Elmham, 24th July 2019

male Birch Marble Apotoomis betuletana, North Elmham, 12th August 2019

Birch Marble Apotoomis betuletana, Bintree Wood, 24th July 2020

Sallow Marble Apotomis capreana - One in the garden trap on 1st July 2020 was my first here since 2 in 2016.

Sallow Marble Apotoomis capreana, North Elmham, 1st July 2020

Woodland Marble Orthotaenia undulana - None.  I had 6 of these in my garden in my first full year here (2015) followed by singles in each of the next 3 years, so 2019 and 2020 were my first full years without any.


White-backed Marble Hedya salicella - One in the garden moth trap on 8th July 2020 was only my second here and the first for 5 years.  Also one at Laura's in Hellesdon on 4th July 2019 and one at the meadows on 18th July 2020.

White-backed Marble Hedya salicella, North Elmham, 8th July 2020

Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana - Totals of 18 in the garden between 17th June and 18th July 2019 and 16 between 11th June and 17th July 2020.  These were my worst year here to date - not far behind the previous couple of years but a long way short of the 57 in 2015.  Also 3 at the meadows.

Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana - Totals of 12 in the garden between 22nd June and 16th July 2019 and 8 between 22nd May and 25th June 2020.  As with the last species these were my worst years here, past annual totals peaking at 23 in 2016.  Elsewhere 7 at the meadows and 2 at Weybourne.

Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2020

Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana - One at the meadows on 30th June 2019 and one in the garden trap on 4th July.  The latter was my third here but first since 2016, so all the more surprising to catch 3 here in 2020, on 20th and 24th June and 4th July.

Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, North Elmham, 20th June 2020

female Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, North Elmham, 4th July 2020

Shoulder-spot Marble Hedya atropunctata - None.  I've never seen this species but there's a scattering of records around the county so it might turn up locally.


Barred Marble Celypha striana - At least 133 recorded at home between 18th June and 22nd August (not counted every night).  That's above average, but over 100 is normal.  A record year in 2020 with 182 between 26th May and 27th August including a record count of 11 on 16th June.  Also recorded next door, at the meadows (7), at Weybourne and at Hellesdon.

Barred Marble Celypha striana, North Elmham, 29th May 2020

Roseate Marble Celypha rosaceana - None.  I've not recorded this species locally yet, but imagine (hope) I will do sooner or later.


Thyme Marble Celypha cespitana - None.  I've caught this species at home twice, in 2015 and 2016.


Common Marble Celypha lacunana - At least 250 in the garden between 23rd May and 12th September (probably more as they weren't counted every night).  Since 2015 I've averaged over 300 a year here so this wasn't a particularly good year.  Only 245 here in 2020, between 19th May and 17th September - my worst year here to date.  Elsewhere 76 recorded at the meadows and others at Bintree Wood, Whitwell Street, Weybourne, Hellesdon, Hills and Holes, Row Heath (West Runton), Burnham Overy and on Mull.

Common Marble Celypha lacunana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th May 2019

dark variant of Common Marble Celypha lacunana, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana - Singles in the garden trap on 23rd and 29th June 2019.  1-2 a year is typical but I had 9 in each of 2016 and 2017.  Also 2 at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  None in 2020, my first blank year since moving here.

Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

Smoky-barred Marble Lobesia abscisana - One at the meadows on 18th July 2020.  My last 3 examples of this species were at the meadows but previously I've had 6 here at home.

Smoky-barred Marble Lobesia abscisana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Oak Marble Lobesia reliquana - None.  I've not recorded this species in North Elmham yet but should imagine I must be in with a good chance, at the meadows if not in the garden.  I've seen it reasonably close, at Bawdeswell Heath.


Next page: more Tortricidae

Oblique Carpet and Shaded Pug, unexpected local records

15th June was fairly unremarkable by mid June standards.  Poplar Grey was the only new moth for the year.

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 15th June

The other moths were 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 4 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 Common Swifts, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Foxglove Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Scorched Wings, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, Common Footman, 5 White Ermines, 3 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, 7 Heart and Darts, Flame, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Small Square-spots, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Common Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, Marbled Minor, Middle-barred Minor, 15 Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 3 Burnished Brasses, 2 Spectacles and 4 Straw Dots.

One of the caddisflies was a new species for me: Tinodes waeneri.  The others included Rhyacophila dorsalis, Limnephilus flavicornis, 2 Limnephilus lunatus and Mystacides longicornis.

Tinodes waeneri, North Elmham, 15th June

Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 15th June

The following night was much better.  The highlight was a surprise Oblique Carpet, a species I associate with the Broads.  In fact there are a handful of records from elsewhere in Norfolk but they appear to be very thin on the ground away from the Broads.  In west Norfolk (VC28) there don't appear to have been any other records since one in 2013, so it's not something I particularly expected to turn up in my trap.

Oblique Carpet, North Elmham, 16th June

Another species I didn't really expect to see here was Shaded Pug.  This is mainly a Breckland species, though with a fair few records along the north and west coasts too.  In the middle of the county there aren't many records at all, so another good local record.

Shaded Pug, North Elmham, 16th June

Among the 67 species recorded were a further 9 new for the year at home: Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Maiden's Blush, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Dark Arches and 2 Dusky Brocades.

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham, 16th June

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 16th June

Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, North Elmham, 16th June

Dusky Brocade, North Elmham, 16th June

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

Other species were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, 9 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 12 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 5 Common Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Blood-vein, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 5 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Lime-speck Pug, Common Pug, 2 Grey Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, Brown Silver-line, 3 Scorched Wings, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Willow Beauties, Clouded Silver, 7 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, 2 Common Footmen, 5 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 9 Heart and Darts, 2 Flames, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 8 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, 2 Middle-barred Minors, 8 Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 3 Burnished Brasses, Beautiful Golden Y and 3 Straw Dots.

Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, North Elmham, 16th June

Burnished Brass, North Elmham, 16th June

Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 16th June

Grey Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Caddisflies included anoither Tinodes waeneri, Hydropsyche pellucidula and Limnephilus lunatus.

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