002 Korscheltellus lupulina (Common Swift)

03.002 Korscheltellus lupulina (Common Swift)

ws: 25-40mm (MBGBI1), fw: M11-16mm, F15-20mm (Waring); May-Jul; Common in various habitats in England and Wales, local in Scotland; lfp: roots of grasses and many other plants.

Korscheltellus lupulina (Common Swift) §1 male

ID: Very variable. Forewing colour ranges from whitish through pale brown to grey and may be plain; where there are pale/white markings form a V (with the point of the V at the dorsum and often open) it is obtuse. Other British Hepialidae can be excluded as follows: K.fusconebulosa (Map-winged Swift) has chequered forewing cilia; H.humuli (Ghost Moth) is larger with a more pointed forewing apex; P.hecta (Gold Swift) has (2) parallel fasciae; T.sylvina (Orange Swift) has the fasciae in the same orientation as in K.lupulina but they form a V with an acute angle.

Variation
Dissection
Male genitalia
Female genitalia
Eggs

§1 Foulness, Essex; 20/05/2007; male
§2 Foulness, Essex; 20/05/2007; male
§3 Foulness, Essex; 03/05/2007; male
§4 Leigh-on-sea, Essex; female; 07/06/2008; fw 17mm
§5 Foulness, Essex; 28/04/2009; male
§6 Foulness, Essex; 08/05/2011; female
§7 Foulness, Essex; 22/05/2011; male
§8 Foulness, Essex; 22/05/2011; male
§9 Foulness, Essex; 29/05/2011; male
All images © Chris Lewis

§10 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 23/07/2013; female
§11 Hockley Woods, Essex; 05/05/2014; female; fw 16.6mm
§12 Foulness, Essex; 07/06/2014; female; fw 15.9mm
§13 Foulness, Essex; 18/05/2019; male; fw 13.1mm
§14 Foulness, Essex; 18/05/2019; female; fw 16.2mm
§15 ??; 2020; female
§16 ??; 2020; male
§17 ??; 2020; female