ERIOCRANIIDAE

02.002 Paracrania chrysolepidella (Hazel Spring Jewel)

ws: 9-13mm; Apr; woodland with hazel and/or hornbeam; leaf-mine hazel (Corylus avellana), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) May; local in S. England
Picture
Paracrania chrysolepidella §1 male
ID: From key - forewing ground colour purple or golden strongly mixed with purple (excludes Dyseriocrania subpurpurella); antennae <1/2 forewing length (excludes Eriocrania semipurpurella/sangii, both of which also have very narrow hair-like scales on the hindwing disc); forewing elongate (flight Mar-Apr) (excludes E.salopiella/sparrmannella), without a conspicuous silvery tornal spot extending halfway across wing (excludes E.unimaculella) > P.chrysolepidella / Eriocrania cicatricella. These two distinguished by genital dissection.
Male genitalia: uncus lobes long and slender in P.chrysolepidella, short and stout in E.cicatricella. 
Comparing images of male genitalia of the Eriocraniidae at Dissection Group the following additional features support this identification:
  1. Larger lobe of aedeagus (paramere) with a distinct kink at the base beyond which it is flattened and gradually expanded towards the apex.
  2. Posteroventral margin of A8 with a triangular central projection
  3. 'Tails' of anteroventral margin of A8 as long as body of A8, narrow throughout, with a slight blob-end
  • Variation
  • Dissection
  • Male genitalia
  • Female genitalia
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§1 Hockley Woods, Essex; 30/03/2014; male; fw 5.7mm
§2 Hockley Woods, Essex; 14/04/2015; male; fw 5.1mm
§3 Hockley Woods, Essex; 01/04/2020; male; fw 4.5mm
§4 Pound Wood, Essex; 25/03/2021; male; fw 5.4mm
§5 Pound Wood, Essex; 31/03/2021; female; fw 5.1mm
§6 Pound Wood, Essex; 31/03/2021; male
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 02/05/2014 (§1) | §2 added 20/04/2015 | §3 added 12/04/2020 | §4 added 07/05/2021 | §5&6 added 01/06/2021