Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Tortrix Moths (Tortricidae) (Part 3: Buttons I (Tortrix to Acleris))

TORTRIX MOTHS (TORTRICIDAE) (continued)


Small Purple Button Spatalistis bifasciana - None.  I've only ever seen one of these and it wasn't local to here, but all the Norfolk records are from the last 20 years and most in the last 10 years, which suggests it's on the increase.  Not many records in this vice county yet, but it's widespread enough in the east so it should turn up here sometime.


Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana - 3 in the garden trap between 24th and 28th June 2019 but none here in 2020.  This was my first blank year - between 1-4 is normal but I had an exceptional 23 in 2018.  Elsewhere 6 at the meadows between 23rd June and 7th July 2019 (one in 2020), and 2 at Bintree Wood on the earlier date of 13th June. 

Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana - 7 in the garden trap between 24th June and 19th July 2019, about an average showing but just a single one here in 2020, on 23rd June.  Also 4 at the meadows in 2019 only.

Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, North Elmham, 23rd June 2020

White-triangle Button Acleris holmiana - None.  These were my first blank years here for this distinctive and attractive moth - in previous years I've recorded 1-6 in the garden.


Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana - At least 20 in the garden (not counted every night) between 19th July and 23rd August 2019 and 20 again between 17th July and 22nd August 2020.  These are slightly above-average totals.  Elsewhere recorded next door and at the meadows.

Maple Button Aleimma forsskaleana, North Elmham, 7th August 2020

Yellow Rose Button Acleris bergmanniana - None.  I am yet to find this species but given the spread of records in Norfolk it must surely only be a matter of time before I do.


Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana - None.  I've only had one confirmed record of this species, at home, in 2017.


Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana - just 4 in my garden trap between 15th August and 24th September 2019.  I've had more than that in a night before and average 16 per year, so this was an exceptionally poor total, but 2020 was only slightly better with 6 between 9th and 19th August.  Only one elsewhere, at Row Heath (West Runton).

male Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, North Elmham, 15th August 2019

male Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, North Elmham, 27th August 2019

female Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Row Heath (West Runton), 31st August 2019

female Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, North Elmham, 20th September 2019

male Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, North Elmham, 24th September 2019

male Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, North Elmham, 9th August 2020

female Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, North Elmham, 14th August 2020

male Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, North Elmham, 15th August 2020

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana - 3 at home between 30th September and 7th October 2019, my equal-worst year (double this on average) and a healthier 7 between 11th September and 9th November 2020.  Also one at the meadows and 3 in Cornwall.

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, North Elmham, 11th September 2020

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana - 5 here between 30th August and 18th October 2019 and 5 again between 16th August and 20th October 2020, typical showings for this species.

Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, North Elmham, 20th October 2020

Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana - one in the garden trap on 11th September 2019.  This species is nearly annual here with up to 3 a year but none in 2020.


Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana - A total of 8 here in 2019, 5 of the summer generation between 23rd June and 17th July and 3 in the autumn (hibernating) generation between 3rd November and 19th December.  One of the latter generation appeared on 10th March 2020 and then the summer season kicked off with a record 3 on 24th June, followed by another 4 by 16th July.  None in the autumn generation in 2020.  This species is listed as rare and up until 2015 it seems that that was an accurate description.  Numbers have surged in the last 5 years though, and it can hardly be described as rare any longer. 

Separation of this species from the Acleris laterana/comariana complex is not always straightforward based on external features and although I had a pretty good idea what most of these would turn out to be I have had individuals which I would have passed off as laterana had I not dissected them to eliminate comariana.  Equally I have had examples that I thought were going to be schalleriana but which proved to be laterana.  I think it is possible to identify some without recourse to dissection but personally I think it wise to build up a good level of experience of gen detted individuals before being confident about this, and at the moment I'm still building up that experience (although there was one particularly clear individual that I let go with just a photo in 2020).  Despite having caught 32 of these here now, I'm yet to record a single one anywhere else.

male Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

male Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

male Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, North Elmham, 11th July 2019

male Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

male Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, North Elmham, 19th December 2019

male Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, North Elmham, 10th March 2020

male Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, North Elmham, 13th July 2020

Next page: more Tortricidae

Another Luquetia lobella

Still catching up...

While I was at Brancaster on the night of 27th June my trap at home was pulling in the goods too.  It wasn't the warmest of nights and correspondingly not the best night, but still a few to note.  Probably the rarest was another Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, hot on the heels of my first the previous night (pretty sure it wasn't the same individual, as I hadn't released that one until after I'd turned the trap off).

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham, 27th June

Another 'second' was Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella.  New for the year were Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Barred Straw and Bordered White.

Bordered White, North Elmham, 27th June

Barred Straw, North Elmham, 27th June

Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, North Elmham, 27th June

Hawthorn Cosmet Blastadacna hellerella, North Elmham, 27th June

Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 27th June

Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 27th June

The others were Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, 4 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrices Archips podana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula stagnata, 6 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Figure of Eighty, Dwarf Cream Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Sandy Carpet, 3 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawkmoth, 3 Buff-tips, Orange Footman, 4 Common Footmen, White Ermine, 16 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 5 Heart and Clubs, 8 Heart and Darts, 2 Flames, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, 4 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, 5 Brown Rustics, 2 Marbled Minors (gen det), 2 Middle-barred Minors, 3 Treble Lines, 10 Uncertains, 2 Mottled Rustics, 2 Burnished Brass, Spectacle, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips and 5 Straw Dots.

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 27th June

Heart and Club, North Elmham, 27th June

Next day was better in number of species, though perhaps not in quality. Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, Common Emerald, Rustic and 4 Marbled White Spots were new for the year.

Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, North Elmham, 28th June

Marbled White Spot, North Elmham, 28th June

Common Emerald, North Elmham, 28th June

Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, North Elmham, 28th June

Other moths recorded that night were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 2 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrices Archips podana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrices Lozotaenia forsterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, Woodland Marble Orthotaenia undulana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 6 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula stagnata, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 4 Riband Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, Sandy Carpet, Common Pug, Green Pug, Brimstone Moth, 6 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, Marbled Brown, 2 Buff-tips, Pale Tussock, 9 Common Footmen, 15 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Clubs, 7 Heart and Darts, 4 Flames, Flame Shoulder, Small Square-spot, 2 Double Square-spots, Lychnis, Common Wainscot, 3 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, 5 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, 4 Dark Arches, 4 Middle-barred Minors, 7 Uncertains, 2 Mottled Rustics, Burnished Brass, 2 Spectacles, 4 Straw Dots, 4 Snouts and 4 Small Fan-foots.

Woodland Marble Orthtaenia undulana, North Elmham, 28th June

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 28th June

Non-lepidopteran interest was maintained with this Common Green Caspid:

Common Green Caspid Lygocorus pabulinus, North Elmham, 28th June

The species count was a bit lower again next day but still four new for the year including one of my favourites, Barred Yellow.  The other three were Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Brown-line Bright-eye and Smoky Wainscot.

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 29th June

Brown-line Bright-eye, North Elmham, 29th June

Smoky Wainscot, North Elmham, 29th June

Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, North Elmham, 29th June

Also recorded were Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (gen det), Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 5 Large Ivy Tortrices Lozotaenia forsterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrices Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, 5 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 6 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 4 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Dwarf Cream Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Treble Brown Spot, 3 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Common Pug, 2 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Pale Oak Beauty, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, 4 Buff-tips, Four-dotted Footman, 2 Common Footmen, 17 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 4 Heart and Clubs, 4 Heart and Darts, Flame, Flame Shoulder, 4 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Common Wainscots, 4 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, 10 Brown Rustics, 3 Middle-barred Minors, 2 Treble Lines, 8 Uncertains, 2 Mottled Rustics, 6 Burnished Brass, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips, 6 Straw Dots, Fan-foot and Small Fan-foot. 

Four-dotted Footman, North Elmham, 29th June

Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, North Elmham, 29th June