Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Clothes Moths (Tineidae) (part 2: Tinea, Monopis and Psychoides)

CLOTHES MOTHS (TINEIDAE) (continued)


Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella - A total of 10 here in 2019, all indoors I think, between 19th May and 10th August.  An above average year for me but topped by a record year in 2020 when I found 24 indoors between 19th April and 22nd December.  Also recorded at a couple of sites in Norwich in 2019 (again, indoors) including one where in addition to several adults, an occupied case was found in the toilet facilities where no fabrics are kept (except for toilet paper which is regularly changed).

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella, North Elmham, 14th June 2019

larva and case of Case-bearnig Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella, Norwich, 9th July 2019

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella, North Elmham, 19th April 2020

Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella - A total of 9 caught in my moth trap between 29th June and 15th September 2019, my best year here although I had a slightly higher total once or twice in Bawdeswell. This was promptly followed by a poor year in 2020 with just 3 at home: one on 12th June and 2 on 5th July.  Also one found during the day at the meadows on 22nd May 2019 and one to light at Weybourne in July 2019 and one at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020.

Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019

Bird's-nest Moth Tinea trinotella - Recorded on 25 nights at home between 25th May and 12th September 2019, making it my best year to date (although only a little better than 2018).  48 over 21 nights between 8th May and 17th August 2020 was probably a further improvement in terms of numbers although I can't compare accurately as I didn't count them on a couple of nights in 2019.  Peak counts of 6 on 23rd July 2019 and 8th May 2020.  Also one at Weybourne in 2019 and 2 at the meadows in 2020.

Bird's-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

Brown-dotted Clothes Moth Niditinea fuscella - None.  Although only one was confirmed, I thought I had this species a few times at Bawdeswell so I expected to find it regularly here in North Elmham too.  So in my first autumn here I wasn't too worried about getting a likely candidate gen detted (this was just before I started doing my own gen dets) but since then I've only had one more contender and that one escaped.  I'm therefore still waiting to add this species to the house/garden list.


Skin Moth Monopis laevigella - One at Weybourne on 5th July was the only one I identified in 2019 making it my second consecutive blank year here (although in 2018 a strong contender escaped before I could confirm it).  Just one in 2020, found in my home on 8th May.  Ideally I prefer to dissect this species to confirm them as they can closely resemble weaverella, especially when worn, but this one escaped before I had a chance.  However it was a very fresh individual with strong irroration and virtually no tornal spot (and was also a very large individual) so I think the ID is safe enough.

Skin Moth Monopis laevigella, North Elmham, 8th May 2020

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella - In contrast to the previous species 2019 was my best year for this one, with 27 individuals recorded in my garden on 17 nights.  Only 2 were in the first flight period (26th May and 1st June) the rest being between 22nd July and 26th August.  2020 was even better with 40 over 26 nights, 6 between 8th and 23rd May and 42 between 4th July and 21st August (including a record 5 on 14th August).  Also 4 at the meadows over the 2 years, one at Swanton Great Wood in 2019, one on Mull in 2019 and one at Hills and Holes in 2020.  I am happy to record the more obvious examples without gen det but any that aren't at all clear go under the scalpel to be confirmed.

male Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 26th May 2019

male Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 8th May 2020

Yellow-backed Moth Monopis obviella - Singles in my garden trap on 29th June 2019 and 30th and 31st July 2020.  I'd only recorded 2 prevously, both in 2017.

male Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

Pale-backed Moth Monopis crocicapitella - One at the meadows on 31st May and one caught in my garden trap on 1st June 2019.  Very probably one here again on 20th May 2020 but unfortunately it escaped before I was able to confirm it.  Excluding 2020 when the only record wasn't confirmed, I have recorded this species here annually since moving in in 2014.

female Pale-backed Clothes Moth ]Monopis crocicapitella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella - None in 2019 but 3 in the garden moth trap in 2020, on 24th June and 4th and 17th July.  I've now recorded 8 of these once-rare moths here, but only in 3 of the 6 years I've been trapping (2 in 2015 and 3 in 2018).

female Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella, North Elmham, 24th June 2020

male Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Hart's-tongue Smut Psychoides verhuella - My search for the larvae of this species at the meadows had been unsuccessful but instead led to the discovery of a population of aphids of a species that was not previously known to exist outdoors in Britain and northern Europe.  Then in turn, when looking to check if the aphids were still present I discovered an adult verhuella sitting on the underside of a Hart's-tongue leaf, on 15th June 2019, a new moth for me and only the 10th record for Norfolk.  I have now found both species of Psychoides on Hart's-tongue growing here.

male Hart's-tongue Smut Psychoides verhuella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora - I've already written about the 2 adults that emerged in February 2019 from larvae collected from the Cathedral Meadows in November 2018, so won't repeat myself here (you can read that here).  Back at home I trapped an adult in my garden on 2nd June 2019 which was only the second I have caught here (and the first one I saw alive as the one in 2017 was found dead in the bottom of the trap).  Then in 2020 one netted in the garden during the day on 9th May was followed by a total of 4 attracted to pheremone lure trap for Currant Clearwing between 15th and 27th May.

male Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, North Elmham, 2nd June 2019

male Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, North Elmham, 15th May 2020

Next page: Bucculatricidae

Stigmella incognitella

The night of Friday 7th July was one of the best this summer with getting on for 400 moths of 118 species.  The smallest of them was the best - my first Grey Apple Pigmy Stigmella incognitella.

Grey Apple Pigmy Stigmella incognitella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Pearl Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella was new for the garden - the first I've seen anywhere for a while.  It's hard to capture in photos but the white fascia and spots are highly shining making this a very attractive little moth.

Pearl Dwarf Elachista apicipunctata (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Then there was a long list of other moths that were new for the year here: Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella, Dull Red Groundling Bryotropha senectella, Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella, Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, Smoky-barred Marble Lobesia abscisana, Large Beech Piercer Cydia fagiglandana, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Dark Umber, Cloaked Minor, Dusky Sallow and Blackneck.

Dull Red Groundling Bryotropha senectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Smoky Marble Lobesia abscisana, North Elmham, 7th July

Large Beech Piercer Cydia fagiglandana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Dark Umber, North Elmham, 7th July

Cloaked Minor, North Elmham, 7th July

Dusky Sallow, North Elmham, 7th July

It was good to get both Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella and Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella together - obviella I'd only seen for the first time in June whereas crocicapitella is supposed to be rarer.  I don't think the size difference between these species is usually so extreme but in this case the crocicapitella was literally twice the size of the obviella.  I couldn't persuade them to sit side by side for a photo so had to shoot them in their pots to show the size difference.

Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella (left) and Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella (right), North Elmham, 7th July

I had my largest count of any species of moth so far this year - 61 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteucha culmella.  Other micros consisted of Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 7 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Little Ermels Swammerdamia pyrella, White-headed Ermel Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella, 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, 2 Small Dingy Tubics Borkhausenia fuscescens, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, 2 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Pine Cosmet Batrachedra pinicolella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, 6 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 4 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 3 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 5 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, 2 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 4 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 3 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, 2 Ermine Knot-horns Phycitodes binaevella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, North Elmham, 7th July

The rest of the macros were 2 Drinkers, 3 Blood-veins, Small Blood-vein, Lesser Cream Wave, 7 Small Fan-footed Waves, 9 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Riband Waves, 3 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, 3 Yellow Shells, July Highflyer, Haworth's Pug, Lime-speck Pug, 6 V-Pugs, Green Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 4 Clouded Borders, 4 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, 3 Engraileds, Common White Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Pale Prominent, Buff-tip, 2 Yellow-tails, 6 Rosy Footmen, 22 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 27 Common Footmen, 2 Heart and Darts, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 10 Double Square-spots, 2 Nutmegs, Bright-line Brown-eye, 4 Clays, 6 Smoky Wainscots, Tawny Marbled Minor, 2 Common Rustics, Mere Wainscot, 38 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, Marbled White Spot, 6 Nut-tree Tussocks, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot, Snout and 5 Fan-foots.

Lacewings were represented by Micromus variegatus, a brown lacewing that was new for the year.  There was a new caddisfly for the year too: Agrypnia pagetana; also an Oxyethira flavicornis.

Micromus variegatus, North Elmham, 7th July

Agrypnia pagetana, North Elmham, 7th July

A Hair-trap Ground Beetle Loricera pilicornis was my first, or at least the first time I'd identified one.  A Nut Weevil Curculio nucum was new for the year - one I've seen here before but some accounts on the internet suggest it can be quite a difficult species to find.  Other beetles were Brown Chafer and Lagira hirta.

Hair-trap Ground Beetle Loricera pilicornis, North Elmham, 7th July

Nut Weevil Curculio nucum, North Elmham, 7th July

Monopis obviella

After an excellent night's mothing at Warham Greens I returned home to check my garden moth trap - and it was busy!  Actually 244 moths of 98 species isn't remarkable for the second half of June but it was one of the best nights of the year so far and there were lots new for the year.  The highlight was a belated lifer, Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella.  I've had a few of the similar but rarer Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella before but obviella has eluded me until now.  When I did get a good candidate for one last year it managed to escape before I could confirm it, so nice to get one sorted at last.

Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

New for the house was Meadow Neb Metzneria metzneriella and it was interesting to compare it to a Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella (new for the year) - very similar but the rufousy tones along the costa on metzneriella were distinctive if subtle.

Meadow Neb Metzneria metzneriella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

A Larch-bud Moth Spilonota laricana was only my second and new for the house.

Larch-bud-Moth Spilonota laricana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

An Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella was only my third.

Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Others new for the year here were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Tipped Oak Case-bearer Coleophora flavipennella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, Long-winged Pearl Anania lancealis, Small Blood-vein, Blue-bordered Carpet, Swallow-tailed Moth and one of my favourites, Green Silver-lines.

Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, North Elmham, 16th June

Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, North Elmham, 16th June

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, North Elmham, 16th June

Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, North Elmham, 16th June

Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, North Elmham, 16th June

Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, North Elmham, 16th June

Giant Water-veneer Schoenobius gigantella, North Elmham, 16th June

Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, North Elmham, 16th June

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 16th June

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 16th June

Green Silver-lines, North Elmham, 16th June

Other moths were presumed Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, 3 Hawthorn Cosmets Blastodacna hellerella, 5 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 6 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, (and another Cnephasia sp.), 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Pine Marbles Piniphila bifasciana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 8 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Buff Arches, 6 Common Emeralds, Blood-vein, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Small Dusty Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 13 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 5 Barred Straws, Green Carpet, 2 Sharp-angled Carpets, Sandy Carpet, Currant Pug, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, 6 Brimstone Moths, 3 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, 2 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, White Ermine, 3 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, 3 Flames, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 7 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Double Square-spots, Common Wainscot, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 6 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, Tawny Marbled Minor (and another Marbled Minor agg.), 10 Middle-barred Minors, 6 Uncertains, 3 Mottled Rustics, Marbled White Spot, Spectacle, 4 Beautiful Hook-tips, 13 Straw Dots, 4 Snouts, 5 Fan-foots and 4 Small Fan-foots.

Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, North Elmham, 16th June

Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, North Elmham, 16th June

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham, 16th June

Mayflies included a male Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, subimago when caught but emerging into imago state by the time I came to identify it.

There were four beetles in the trap, three of which were new for the house (no doubt because I'm trying much harder than before): the water beetle Rhantus suturalis, Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus and completely new for me, Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor (the fourth was Cantharis cryptica).

Rhantus suturalis, North Elmham, 16th June

Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus, North Elmham, 16th June

Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor, North Elmham, 16th June