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

A new moth, a new waxfly, a new snail and three new flowers

Monday 30th April was a foul day, wet and windy all day.  I didn't venture out and, extremely unusually for me I didn't even open any windows.  Yet I did record a moth inside the house, my first Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella of the year.

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 30th April

There were no moths in the trap that night and only 4 on 1st May, but these included my first Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella of the year, and Muslin Moth and 2 Hebrew Characters.

Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st May

Waxflies can be frustrating as so many of them turn out to be female Conwentzia sp., a duo that can't definitely be told from one another (although the number of antennal segments has been suggested as a character).  But they have reaped rewards and I've had two new species for Norfolk here so I always check them.  On this occasion it was just another Conwentzia, but for the first time this one was a male, so my first fully-identified Conwentzia psociformis.

Conwentzia psociformis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st May

I headed back to the Cathedral Meadows first thing on 2nd and added Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella to the site moth list (one in each tetrad).

 Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

I returned in the evening and found 3 Red-brindled Dwarfs Elachista rufocinerea flying around the meadows.

Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufochinerea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

As it turned dark I found my first macro moth for the site, a Water Carpet.  I also found Common Striped Woodlouse, Tree Slug and this snail which at the time I identified as Pelucid Glass Snail Vitrina pellucida.  I know realise this ID was incorrect, though I'm not entirely sure what it was (updated November 2019).

unidentified snail, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Common Striped Woodlouse Philoscia muscorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

A couple of wildlfowers are species I hadn't previously identified, though I think they're both very common: Three-nerved Sandwort and Meadow Saxifrage.  A third new species was the naturalised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Three-nerved Sandwort, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Meadow Saxifrage, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Are these Sulphur Tufts?

Sulphur Tuft?, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

The temperature was falling rapidly so it was no surprise to find few moths in the trap at home - just 3 Hebrew Characters in fact.

Next day the Large Red-belted Clearwing lure attracted the hoverfly Parasyrphus punctulatus, new for the year.

Parasyrphus punctulatus, North Elmham, 3rd May

That night saw Lesser Swallow Prominent and 2 Swallow Prominents, both new for the year, along with Early Thorn, Muslin Moth, Clouded Drab and Hebrew Character.

Lesser Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 3rd May

Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 3rd May

Lesser Swallow Prominent (left) and Swallow Prominent (right), North Elmham, 3rd May

This Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus was my first caddisfly of the year.

Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, North Elmham, 3rd May

Spongefly

The highlight from my garden moth trap on 10th June was my first Spongefly, a group of lacewings represented by one species in Norfolk, Sisyra fuscata.  Compared to the brown lacewings (at least the ones I'm familiar with) it was small and dark, but sadly it was on its last legs (although that hadn't been apparent) and died before I managed to get any photos of it.  Not only that but it had covered itself in moth scales left in the pot I used so the photo really is bad!

Sisyra fuscata (dead), North Elmham, 10th June

A number of moths were new for the year: Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis, Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, 2 Little Grass-veneers Platytes cerussella, Wormwood Pug, Dingy Footman and Fan-foot.

Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th June

Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, North Elmham, 10th June

Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, North Elmham, 10th June

Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, North Elmham, 10th June

Little Grsas-veneer Platytes cerussella, North Elmham, 10th June

Fan-foot, North Elmham, 10th June

Also of note were 2 Hawthorn Bent-wings Bucculatrix bechsteinella - my third and fourth here this year but a species I'd not recorded here at all in previous years.

Hawthorn Bent-wing Bucculatrix bechsteinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th June

Other moths were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 5 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Common Swift, Small Dusty Wave, 4 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, Sandy Carpet, 3 Common Pugs, 2 Green Pugs, Brown Silver-line, Scorched Wing, 2 Brimstone Moths, 3 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, 3 Light Emeralds, Coxcomb Prominent, 2 White Ermines, Buff Ermine, Heart and Club, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 4 Ingrailed Clays, Shears, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Small Clouded Brindle, Tawny Marbled Minor (also another Marbled Minor agg. that escaped), 6 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 3 Mottled Rustics, Marbled White Spot, 3 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle, 20 Straw Dots, 5 Snouts and 4 Small Fan-foots.

Caddisflies were represented by 2 Ecnomus tenellus (new for the year), Goera pilosa and Mystacides longicornis.

Ecnomus tenellus, North Elmham, 10th June

Goera pilosa, North Elmham, 10th June

Birch Shieldbug, Fly Bug Reduvius personatus (sometimes known as Masked Hunter) and 7-spot Ladybird were all apparently new for the year though I've a feeling I've had the ladybird before and forgotten to record it.

Birch Shieldbug, North Elmham, 10th June

Next day I found 2 Case-bearing Clothes Moths Tinea pellionella in the house, a new species for the year here.

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th June

Red-eyed Pug

Several more new moths for the year in the trap last Tuesday night: Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Buff Arches and Marbled White Spot.

Buff Arches, North Elmham, 21st June

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 21st June

Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora perebenanderi (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Another new moth for the year was inside the house - Case-bearing Clothes Moths Tinea pellionella.

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

In total there were 61 species - good by this year's standards though unexceptional for this time of year in a better year.  The others were Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrices Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 11 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 2 Treble Brown Spots, Riband Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, Purple Bar, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Mottled Pug, 9 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, 2 Scorched Wings, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, 3 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawkmoth, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 4 Marbled Browns, Buff-tip, 2 Common Footmen, 5 White Ermines, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 6 Brown Rustics, 3 Middle-barred Minors, 3 Treble Lines, 4 Mottled Rustics, 3 Burnished Brasses, 20 Straw Dots and 2 Snouts.

The Grey Pug had orangey-red eyes - never seen that on any Pug before!

Grey Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

This lacustrata was darker than usual - thought it might be mercurella though other features were suggestive of lacustrata.  Dissection confirmed it.

Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata (female, gen det), North Elmham, 21st June

Caddisflies included 4 Hydropsyche pellucidula, a Phryganea grandis and 3 Mystacides longicornis.  I think this leafhopper is either one of the Edwardsiana species or Fagocyba, but can't progress beyond that.

unidentified leafhopper (proably either Edwardsiana sp. or Fagocyba sp.), North Elmham, 21st June