45.011 Amblyptilia punctidactyla (Brindled Plume)
ws: 18-23mm; bivoltine - Jul, Sep-May; polyphagous; fairly common throughout GB
Amblyptilia punctidactyla §2 male
ID: Very similar to A.acanthadactyla. See Amblyptilia for detailed identification features.
A.acanthadactyla is red-brown; A.punctidactyla is grey-brown. The longest scales in the scale tooth on the 3rd lobe of the hindwing are about as long as the breadth of the 3rd lobe membrane in A.acanthadactlya and clearly longer than the breadth of the membrane in A.punctidacyla.
Male genitalia: In A.acanthadactyla the spine of the cucullus is short, the sacculus is entire, the annellus arms are relatively straight and slender and the saccus has rounded lateral margins; in A.punctidactyla the spine of the cucullus is longer and slightly curved, the sacculus is incised at ~1/2, the annellus arms are curved and stout and the saccus has indented lateral margins.
Female genitalia: The posterior margin of lamina postvaginalis has a steep-sided "V"-shaped indentation in A.acanthadactyla and a shallower "U"-shaped indentation in A.punctidactyla. The lamina postvaginalis is relatively narrow in A.acanthadactyla.
A.acanthadactyla is red-brown; A.punctidactyla is grey-brown. The longest scales in the scale tooth on the 3rd lobe of the hindwing are about as long as the breadth of the 3rd lobe membrane in A.acanthadactlya and clearly longer than the breadth of the membrane in A.punctidacyla.
Male genitalia: In A.acanthadactyla the spine of the cucullus is short, the sacculus is entire, the annellus arms are relatively straight and slender and the saccus has rounded lateral margins; in A.punctidactyla the spine of the cucullus is longer and slightly curved, the sacculus is incised at ~1/2, the annellus arms are curved and stout and the saccus has indented lateral margins.
Female genitalia: The posterior margin of lamina postvaginalis has a steep-sided "V"-shaped indentation in A.acanthadactyla and a shallower "U"-shaped indentation in A.punctidactyla. The lamina postvaginalis is relatively narrow in A.acanthadactyla.
Dissection
Male genitalia
§1 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 07/08/2008
§2 Christon Bank, Northumberland; 14/09/2014; male; fw 8.9mm
§3 Romansleigh, Devon; 28/06/2016; male; to light
§4 Romansleigh, Devon; 28/06/2016; male; fw 9.2mm; to light
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Christon Bank, Northumberland; 14/09/2014; male; fw 8.9mm
§3 Romansleigh, Devon; 28/06/2016; male; to light
§4 Romansleigh, Devon; 28/06/2016; male; fw 9.2mm; to light
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 31/03/2012 (§1) | §2 added and text amended 20/12/2014 | §3&4 added 06/01/2017
