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

Dark Sword-grass, Smut and new aphids for Norfolk that shouldn't be outside

A Dark Sword-grass was the unexpected highlight on 16th November, a migrant and only my second record from the garden trap.

Dark Sword-grass, North Elmham, 16th November

It was obviously a good night for migrants as there were also 4 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella in there.   Other things were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Pale November Moth, female Epirrita sp., Scarce Umber, Dark Chestnut, the caddisflies Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus, the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus and the leafhoppper Fagocyba cruenta.

Next day while birding at Burnham Overy I found this Natterjack.  It's remarkably well camouflaged on the sand, but it's shadow was easy enough to see!

Natterjack, Burnham Overy, 17th November

The only other non-avian thing noted there was a Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea flying through the dunes (hand caught by Paul).

There were only 2 moths in the trap at home, but they were nice ones: December Moth and Scarce Umber.

The following night there was Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, December Moth, 2 Winter Moths (the first of the winter in my garden) and the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus.

A nil return on 19th and Brick and Yellow-line Quaker on 20th.

This hoverfly Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax was flying at the meadows on 21st.

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

There were some nice fungi too, with thanks again to James Emerson for help with the IDs.  I particularly liked these Lilac Bonnets and Wood Blewits.

Lilac Bonnet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

Wood Blewit, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

Also that day, the distinctive little beetle Ptinus sexpunctatus appeared in my study - the third one I've seen this year and the second that's turned up in my study.  No moths that night though, nor the following night.

A warmer night on 23rd so I had a wander round the meadows with the headtorch.  I found a few moths: Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana and 6 Winter Moths.

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Winter Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

I had recently seen tweets about the larvae of the two Psychoides species that breed on ferns and so decided to have a quick look for these.  With beginner's luck the first Hartstongue I checked had one on it!  I was satisfied that it was Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora.

larval covering and larva of Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

I retained the leaflet that this was on and took it home with me in the hope that the adult moth would emerge.  And on 18th February this appeared in the pot!

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, 18th February, emerged from larvae collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 23rd November

I did notice a second clump of spores that I had wondered about as it seemed slightly out of place compared to the rest, but I decided it was nothing.  But in fact it must have held another larva because on 26th February another moth emerged!

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, 26th February, emerged from larvae collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 23rd November

They really are quite lovely little critters when they're fresh, and the first live ones I've ever seen (having found a dead one in the bottom of my garden moth trap in 2017).

As I was looking at the larva I noticed some aphids on the same bit of Hartstongue.  A little bit of online searching came up with an apparently good match, Black Fern Aphids Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  But I couldn't find out much information about the species, there weren't any records in the UK on the NBN Atlas and something I found suggested they only occurred indoors.  So I fired off an email to Jit Thacker, the county recorder for aphids.

For reasons unknown, Jit never received my email and so that was how I left it until I was catching up with records in the last few days.  In the meantime I have acquired a new book on aphids, so maybe I could progress this a bit more.  The book lists all the aphids known to occur on various plants, and for Hartstongue it only listed two species.  One looked nothing like these and the other was Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  Without the specimens adequately preserved I couldn't check the detail but they looked good - however the book reiterated what I had read, which is that in Britain and indeed the whole of northern Europe this species is only known from glasshouses and other indoor situations.

This seemed to warrant another attempt at contacting Jit, who this time received the email and responded promptly.  Off the back of this correspondence it sounded like I would need an adult specimen, preferably a winged individual (alate), to confirm the record - but that this was not to be expected as any colony was unlikely to have survived a British winter.

Well I had a careful look this morning and the colony HAD survived the winter (and I found another colony there too).  Still no winged alate, but the bigger unwinged individuals ticked all the boxes for Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  To confirm I took them through the full key, and sure enough I ended up at Idiopterus nephrelepidis.

Another email to Jit and this evening he has confirmed that they appear to be the first Norfolk record (albeit some old aphd records are missing), and perhaps also the first record of them overwintering outside!

Black Fern Aphids Idioterus nephrelepidis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Black Fern Aphids Idioterus nephrelepidis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Other things found that evening included Common Earwig Forficula auricularia, the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea, the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus, the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus, the leafhopper Idiocerus herrichi, about 20 Oak Apple Gall Wasps Biorhiza pallida, Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber and the centipede Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus.

Idiocerus herrichi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Oak Apple Gall Wasp Biorhiza pallida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Thanks again to James for confirming the ID of some Clustered Bonnets.

Very little in the garden trap that night: Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, December Moth and 2 Winter Moths.  No moths at all the following night though - just a green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg.

Strawberry Tortrix and Fern Smut

I trapped two lifers on the night of Saturday 17th June. The first was clearly an Acleris laterana/comariana agg. but a very early date for laterana, and it was a bit on the small side.  I'd suspected comariana a year ago but the blighter escaped before I could confirm it, so I took great care not to let this one bolt for it!  One of the key differences in the genitalia are the size and arrangement of cornuti in the aedeagus (or in layman's terms, spiky bits in its willy!) but this one didn't have any cornuti (they sometimes leave them behind when mating).  The other features looked good but I wasn't 100% sure so sent a photo to Jon Clifton to check.  He confirmed what I thought - that it was a Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana.

Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

The second was instantly recognisable as a Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, but sadly it was also the only moth out of over 200 that didn't survive the night.  I started going through the trap at first light but by the time I reached it it was already dead in the bottom of an eggbox.  Still, a new moth for the house even if I am still yet to see one alive.  First recorded in Norfolk as recently as 2010 (Dersingham and Cromer) but there are now lots of records, mainly from the Broads.  Nevertheless despite Dick having recorded over 20 in five years at Dersingham, mine is only the second site in VC28 (west Norfolk) where it has been recorded.

dead Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

One more moth was new for the garden: Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella.

Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella, North Elmham, 17th June

Another excellent moth which I saw for the first time last year was Satyr Pug.  This one was a bit fresher than last year's and perhaps should have been identified, or at least suspected, without dissection.  Sadly for would-be twitchers I didn't get round to looking at it that carefully until it was too late.

Satyr Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Other new moths for the year were Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana, Drinker, 2 Lilac Beauties and 2 Rosy Footmen.

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, North Elmham, 17th June

Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, North Elmham, 17th June

Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Drinker, North Elmham, 17th June

Lilac Beauty, North Elmham, 17th June

Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 17th June

Also recorded were 2 Meadow Case-bearers Coleophora mayrella, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, 2 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, 8 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 6 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 11 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 7 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella, 4 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 2 Common Emeralds, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 5 Riband Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Barred Straws, Broken-barred Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Orange Footman, Common Footman, 7 Buff Ermines, Heart and Club, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Ingrailed Clay, 4 Double Square-spots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 7 Brown Rustics, Dark Arches, 5 Middle-barred Minors, 4 Uncertains, Marbled White Spot, 43 Straw Dots, 2 Snouts and 3 Fan-foots.

A good selection of caddisflies included 2 Ecnomus tenellus, Hydropsyche pellucidula,  Limnephilus lunatus, Athripsodes aterrimus, 2 Leptocerus tineiformis (new for the year) and 2 Mystacides longicornis.

Leptocerus tineiformis (male), North Elmham, 17th June

Bugs included Common Green Caspid Lygocoris pabulinus (new for the year) and the water boatman Sigara falleni, a lifer for me.

Sigara falleni, North Elmham, 17th June

Beetles consisted of my first Brown Chafer Serica brunnea of the year and another Cantharis cryptica.

Brown Chafer Serica brunnea, North Elmham, 17th June

Mayflies included 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, new for the year.

Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, North Elmham, 17th June