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ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 9:50 pm
by PaulHopkins
ID Help Requests - August 2017:
Just three queries from August 2017, one of which I'm fairly confident on, the other two are in the realm of mystery.
This one I think is Agriphila inquinatella. (22/08/2017)
- Agriphila inquinatella ?
I wondered about
Eudonia truncicolella for this, although it seems to be pretty much absent from West Cheshire ? (22/08/2017)
- Eudonia truncicolella ?
Pug problems. Golden-rod Pug ? (03/08/2017)
- Golden-rod Pug (Eupithecia virgaureata) ?
Any help welcome !
Cheers,
Paul
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Re: ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:04 am
by stevehind
Hi Paul,
I'll pass on the Agriphila as I don't catch either inquinatella or geniculea over here and there are several folks on the forum who do, so hopefully they will be able to help you with that one.
I agree with your Eudonia truncicolella. There are very few Wirral records for this species. Is it actually that rare over your way, or is it being missed amongst the other Eudonia species ?
I see how you have arrived at Golden-rod for your Pug but I'm not sure this is correct. It looks more like the Triple-spotted Pugs I've been finding over this side of Cheshire in recent years. Does Angelica grow nearby ? If so have a look for the larvae on the underside of the umbels; they should be feeding now.
Regards,
Steve
Re: ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:14 am
by PaulHopkins
Thanks Steve.
There may well be Angelica by the path through Dibbinsdale LNR close to the foot of my garden, I'll have a search for larvae over the weekend.
Cheers,
Paul
Re: ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:47 am
by SteveH
Hi Steve, Paul,
interesting - I had what I also determined it likely to be Golden-rod Pug in the week but aired on the side of caution and binned it. It did however look exactly like the beast in your photo Paul. Have had a more conventionally marked Triple-spotted too as it happens.
Had a surf for Angelica on the web and it does occur nearby - nice looking plant actually but searching Creeping Thistle is before it on my to-do list.
Cheers,
Steve
Re: ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 5:02 pm
by melbellingham
Hi,
I record Agriphila geniculea in my garden trap, and I think Paul’s moth is that species.
However, I don’t record E.inquinitella here in my garden, so I would be interested to hear what members who do regularly record it think.
I don’t record Eudonia truncicolella either, but when I have seen it, at sites away from my garden, it is the size which helps me to identify it. It appears to me to be a much ‘chunkier’ moth.
If I am deceived or wrong about the size, I could be missing them. Most of my literature for instance gives Eudonia lacustrata, the moth I would consider to be the closest confusion species, as 9mm wing length and E.truncicolella as 10mm, which is not that different.
In August last year, Martyn posted an image of a Eudonia species, either E.murana or E.truncicolella, which had a wing length of 11mm, more like the size that gets me double checking. I remember it because of the excellent reply and information supplied by johnk.
Possibly too late for this season, but I will definitely look more closely in future.
Mel.
Re: ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 5:37 pm
by stevehind
Yes Mel, Eudonia truncicolella is normally noticeably larger than Eudonia lacustrata. It's peak flight period is also later, just as Eudonia lacustrata appears to be fading. I've had 34 between 13/07-05/09 this year.
Regards,
Steve
Re: ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 7:37 pm
by SteveMcBill
Photo 1 is definitely Agriphila geniculea.
Steve
Re: ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 7:42 pm
by johnK
Hi Paul,
I'm a bit late into this discussion but I would agree with others that this is E.truncicolella. I hope you don't mind that I've fiddled with your image to try to point out two very useful features to help distinguish this species from others in the family. It will eliminate E.lacustrata from the question.
John
Re: ID Help Requests - August 2017
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:04 pm
by PaulHopkins
Thanks all for the feedback. I get a lot of Agriphila geniculea in August. The colouration of this individual seemed a bit different which led me down a different path but looking again at the markings, in particular the elbowed outer cross line, I see it is indeed A.geniculea.
I don't honestly remember the Eudonia being particularly big, though I might well not have picked up on this.
John's annotated image is most useful.
Cheers,
Paul