Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 14: Piercers III (Pammene))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Early Oak Piercer Pammene giganteana - One came to the Grapholita lobarzewskii pheremone lure here on 10th April 2020.  I've only ever seen 3 of these, all caught using the same lure in 2018.  I don't think I put that lure out in April 2019 which is probably why I didn't get any that year.

Early Oak Piercer Pammene giganteana, North Elmham, 10th April 2020

Black-bordered Piercer Pammene argyrana - One found on an Oak trunk at the meadows on 27th March 2019 followed by another on 19th April.  The latter, when found, had very short wings and had me stumped.  It was like it was a female of one of the flightless moths, except that it looked like a tortrix and I couldn't think of any that had flightless short-winged females.  I duly potted it up and took it home, whereupon I found that it was a perfectly normal-winged male.  Presumably it had just emerged when I found it and hadn't pumped its wings.  A shame I didn't realise that as I would have liked to have watched and photographed it doing it.  These were only my second and third examples of this species - I've not had it at home yet.  Smart little moths!  None in 2020.

female Black-bordered Piercer Pammene argyrana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th March 2019

male Black-bordered Piercer Pammene argyrana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th April 2019

Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana - None.  I've only ever seen one of these and it wasn't local to here.  It's pretty scarce but there's a chance of it turning up locally.


Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana - Caught on 3 consecutive nights 23rd to 25th July 2019.  None at home in 2020, my first blank year here but I usually only get one a year so it was bound to happen sooner or later.  One at Bintree Wood on 24th July 2020.


Fruitlet-mining Tortrix Pammene rhediella - A moth that wasn't really on my radar so it was all the more delightful to catch one flying around a Hawthorn hedge at the meadows on 24th April 2020.  Pretty little thing!

Fruitlet-mining Tortrix Pammene rhediella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

Regal Piercer Pammene regiana - One at the meadows on 29th June 2019, spotted on the underside of a Hornbeam leaf (next to a Sycamore).  Unfortunately it was too high up to reach in order to get a good look at it.  I saw one here in 2018, the only other one I've ever seen.

Regal Piercer Pammene regiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019

Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita - None in 2019.  Despite having 2-3 at Bawdeswell when I lived there I didin't manage to find the species in the North Elmham area until 2020 when one at Bintree Wood on 24th July and the first one in my garden on 7th August.

Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita, Bintree Wood, 24th July 2020

Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana - 3 at the meadows on 21st June 2019 and one on 29th June.  I've not seen this species at home but don't particularly expect to as it's a day-flying species.  None in 2020.

Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Little Beech Piercer Strophedra weirana - I've only seen this species a couple of times and never locally.  No reason why it shouldn't turn up here though.


Little Oak Piercer Strophedra nitidana - Perhaps a bit less likely to turn up here than weirana.  I've only ever seen one in the Brecks.

Next page: Leopard Moths (Cossidae) plus

Regal Piercer

A wander round the Cathedral Meadows on 27th June produced a good variety of interesting insects including five I'd not previously recorded.  The best of these was a new moth, but embarrassingly I stuffed up the ID at the time.  No excuses for that as it's a distinctive species, but one that wasn't really on my radar and, having found this one on a Sycamore I shoe-horned it into the vaguely-similar Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita.  Months later I happened upon a photo of a Regal Piercer Pammene regiana and realised immediately that this was in fact the moth I'd seen (these occur on Sycamore too).

Regal Piercer Pammene regiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

There was also an Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana on some Hogweed.

Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Other moths were Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteucha culmella, and the continuing larvae of the Small Eggars.  There was a good variety of butterflies including 50 Ringlets.

Ringlet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

 Quite a few dragonflies too, including one of my earliest ever Ruddy Darters.

Ruddy Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Both Common Green and Meadow Grasshoppers were found, and surprisingly both were new species for me.  I've not a huge amount with grasshoppers in the past but enough that I should have recorded these two species before now.

Common Green Grasshopper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Bugs included a creche of 48 Parent Bugs, final instars I think, and up to 8 Orthotylus adenocarpi, a new species for me.  I say up to 8 because I only checked one of them carefully.  They were all found on Broom but there are other very similar species occurring on Broom so it is possible that they were not all the same species.

Parent Bugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Orthotylus adenocarpi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

This beetle proved to be a Common Malachite Malachius bipustulatus.

Common Malachite Malachius bipustulatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

A hoverfly turned out to be Cheilosia illustrata, another new species for me, and there was also a Hornet.

Cheilosa illustrata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Hornet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

I really enjoyed the display of Musk Mallow in the wildflower meadow:

Musk Mallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

The Turkscap Lily was still looking good...

Turkscap Lily, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

That night at home the highlight was a Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, only my third ever and the first for my garden. It seemed to me to be a good year for this species because I went on to have another three, including two more in the garden, however by the time of writing there were only two other records in the Norfolk Moth Survey database this year which is less than usual.

Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, North Elmham, 27th June

Lesser Cream Wave and Shaded Broad-bar were new for the year.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 27th June

Shaded Broad-bar, North Elmham, 27th June

Other moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Buff Mompha Mompha ochraceella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 7 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 4 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Dwarf Cream Waves, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 9 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, 6 Barred Straws, 2 Barred Yellows, Currant Pug, 2 Common Pugs, Double-striped Pug, Small Yellow Wave, 3 Brimstone Moths, Lilac Beauty, Willow Beauty, 3 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, 2 Clouded Silvers, 4 Common Footmen, 8 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Clubs, Heart and Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Double Square-spots, 2 Clays, Common Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, Treble Lines, 9 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Beautiful Hook-tip, 4 Snouts and Fan-foot, and there was one caddisfly, Hydropsyche pellucidula.