19.007 Glyphipterix simpliciella (Cocksfoot Moth)
ws:6-9mm; May-Jul, diurnal, large numbers may be found on buttercups; cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea); common in grassland throughout GB
Glyphipterix simpliciella §3
ID: from key in MBGBI2 - forewing with white strigulae (excludes G.thrasonella/fuscoviridella); no silver dot in black apical spot (excludes G.forsterella); ws <11mm (excludes G.haworthana). This leaves G.schoenicolella/equitella/simpliciella which are very similar. G.equitella is excluded in the key by having 2 pre-terminal silvery spots (the key says "pre-apical" but pre-terminal is more accurate), G.schoenicolella/simpliciella having only one (near the tornus) - and this may be reliable, but seeing the silvering is dependent on getting the lighting right and the strigulae in the apical half of the forewing also have some silvering which may confuse the determination of which are the relevant spots. G.equitella is larger (ws; 9-10mm) and may be excluded by habitat (stone walls and coastal cliffs) and foodplant (stonecrops). G.schoenicolella is excluded in the key by having white hindwing dorsal cilia, these being pale fuscous in G.simpliciella - it is unlikely that this feature could be seen on a live moth. The most proximal dorsal white strigula is usually much more prominent in G.schoenicolella than in G.simpliciella. G.schoenicolella flies May-Sep - so specimens found in Aug and Sep are more likely to be this species.
Male genitalia: G.schoenicolella/equitella/simpliciella are all shown at Moth Dissection. Comparison of the images available reveal little difference between the species. All three have a small cornutus near the apex of the aedeagus - on the limited evidence available it appears that the cornutus is relatively long in G.equitella (length of aedagus:length of cornutus ratio 3 for G.equitella, 5-6 for G.schoenicolella/simpliciella). It may be that G.schoenicolella/simpliciella can be distinguished on the the length of the saccus, which appears relatively long in G.schoenicolella (length of cornutus:length of saccus ratio just less than 1 for G.schoenicolella, ~2 for G.simpliciella). (There is some difficulty in determining an exact position for the base of the saccus).
Female genitalia: G.schoenicolella/equitella/simpliciella are all shown at Moth dissection, but the images for G.schoenicolella and G.simpliciella show the ovipositor only. In comparing these images and my own images for G.schoenicolella and G.simpliciella it appears that all three show a small sclerotisation at the junction of the introitus vaginae with the ductus bursae and a longer sclerotisation of the ductus bursae at its junction with the bursa copulatrix. In comparing the available images it is possible that the species can be distinguished on the length of the latter sclerotisation - (length of ductus bursae:length of posterior sclerotisation ratio ~2 for G.simpliciella, ~3 for G.equitella and ~5 for G.schoenicolella) - but this may be an artefact of the preparation techniques and requires further testing. From my images of G.simpliciella it looks as though there are 2 smudgy signa in the bursa copulatrix which do not appear to be present in G.schoenicolella or G.equitella. Although it is only the ovipositor shown at Moth Dissection for 2 of these 3 species, I cannot see any significant differences in the apophyses or sterigma.
Male genitalia: G.schoenicolella/equitella/simpliciella are all shown at Moth Dissection. Comparison of the images available reveal little difference between the species. All three have a small cornutus near the apex of the aedeagus - on the limited evidence available it appears that the cornutus is relatively long in G.equitella (length of aedagus:length of cornutus ratio 3 for G.equitella, 5-6 for G.schoenicolella/simpliciella). It may be that G.schoenicolella/simpliciella can be distinguished on the the length of the saccus, which appears relatively long in G.schoenicolella (length of cornutus:length of saccus ratio just less than 1 for G.schoenicolella, ~2 for G.simpliciella). (There is some difficulty in determining an exact position for the base of the saccus).
Female genitalia: G.schoenicolella/equitella/simpliciella are all shown at Moth dissection, but the images for G.schoenicolella and G.simpliciella show the ovipositor only. In comparing these images and my own images for G.schoenicolella and G.simpliciella it appears that all three show a small sclerotisation at the junction of the introitus vaginae with the ductus bursae and a longer sclerotisation of the ductus bursae at its junction with the bursa copulatrix. In comparing the available images it is possible that the species can be distinguished on the length of the latter sclerotisation - (length of ductus bursae:length of posterior sclerotisation ratio ~2 for G.simpliciella, ~3 for G.equitella and ~5 for G.schoenicolella) - but this may be an artefact of the preparation techniques and requires further testing. From my images of G.simpliciella it looks as though there are 2 smudgy signa in the bursa copulatrix which do not appear to be present in G.schoenicolella or G.equitella. Although it is only the ovipositor shown at Moth Dissection for 2 of these 3 species, I cannot see any significant differences in the apophyses or sterigma.
§1 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 27/05/2007; fw 3.8mm
§2 Foulness, Essex; 10/05/2009; fw 3.4mm
§3 Foulness, Essex; 08/05/2011
§4 Mull; 27/06/2011; female
§5 Foulness, Essex; 19/05/2012; female
§6 Foulness, Essex; 19/05/2012; male
§7 Foulden Common, Norfolk; 23/05/2016; male; fw 3.5mm
§8 Box Hill, Surrey; 27/05/2017; potted by day
§9 Bampton Grange, Cumbria; 14/06/2019; female; fw 3.2
§10 ??; 2020; female
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Foulness, Essex; 10/05/2009; fw 3.4mm
§3 Foulness, Essex; 08/05/2011
§4 Mull; 27/06/2011; female
§5 Foulness, Essex; 19/05/2012; female
§6 Foulness, Essex; 19/05/2012; male
§7 Foulden Common, Norfolk; 23/05/2016; male; fw 3.5mm
§8 Box Hill, Surrey; 27/05/2017; potted by day
§9 Bampton Grange, Cumbria; 14/06/2019; female; fw 3.2
§10 ??; 2020; female
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 30/01/2012 | Specimens §5&6 added 02/07/2012 | §7 added and text rewritten 10/02/2017 | §8 added 10/12/2017 |
§9 added 22/01/2020 | §10 added 07/04/2021
§9 added 22/01/2020 | §10 added 07/04/2021
