32.008 Agonopterix liturosa (Large Purple Flat-body)
ws: 17-20mm; Jul; St John's worts (Hypericum spp); fairly common throughout GB except N.Scotland
Agonopterix liturosa §1 male
ID: Forewing dark purplish or crimson-brown; wingspan 17-20mm; tegulae dark purplish contrasting with buff thorax.
A.conterminella is similar. It is separated in the key in MBGBI4.1 by having the tegulae concolorous with the thorax (the colour of both varying from pale buff to brownish fuscous). The text also mentions that the underside of S2 of labial palp is pale buff in A.liturosa and brownish fuscous in A.conterminella. The tegulae of A.liturosa are described as "dark purplish brown paling posteriorly to pinkish-brown or sometimes buff". In specimen §1 the strong buff basal forewing line may give an initial illusion that the thorax and tegulae are concolorous - but close inspection shows dark purplish tegulae paling to buff posteriorly (though I have some lingering doubts about this specimen).
Most web images labelled as A.conterminella show a transverse basal demarcation between a pale forewing base and the dark purplish subbasal area; while most web images labelled as A.liturosa show the entire base of the forewing and the tegulae dark purplish.
A.conterminella is similar. It is separated in the key in MBGBI4.1 by having the tegulae concolorous with the thorax (the colour of both varying from pale buff to brownish fuscous). The text also mentions that the underside of S2 of labial palp is pale buff in A.liturosa and brownish fuscous in A.conterminella. The tegulae of A.liturosa are described as "dark purplish brown paling posteriorly to pinkish-brown or sometimes buff". In specimen §1 the strong buff basal forewing line may give an initial illusion that the thorax and tegulae are concolorous - but close inspection shows dark purplish tegulae paling to buff posteriorly (though I have some lingering doubts about this specimen).
Most web images labelled as A.conterminella show a transverse basal demarcation between a pale forewing base and the dark purplish subbasal area; while most web images labelled as A.liturosa show the entire base of the forewing and the tegulae dark purplish.
Dissection
Male genitalia
§1 Bernwood Forest, Buckinghamshire; 17/08/2017; male
Page published 07/01/2012 (misidentifaction - A.conterminella) | §1 replaced 10/09/2017