37.011 Coleophora badiipennella (Pale Elm Case-bearer)
ws: 9-10.5mm (MBGBI3); Jun-Jul; English/small-leaved elm (Ulmus procera/minor); locally common in England.
Coleophora badiipennella §1 male
ID: Group C: Forewing plain with pale costa; antenna ringed to apex, hindleg not entirely white, hindwing grey, costal streak from base to beyond mid-costa, fw<5mm: C.adjectella / C.trigeminella / C.badiipennella - which require genital dissection to determine identity, but C.badiipennella may be suggested by the presence of dark-tipped scales all over forewing.
Male genitalia: Sacculus without a posterior process, ending in a blunt narrow curved lateral process; subapical process present at base of lateral process: C.milvipennis / C.adjectella / C.badiipennella / C.alnifoliae. (C.trigeminella lacks a subapical process and the sacculus ends in a pointed lateral process). C.milvipennis and C.alnifoliae can be excluded on size at fw>5mm and by having the apical ¼ of the antenna unringed. C.badiipennella is probably best distinguished from C.adjectella by the presence of dark-tipped scales all over the forewing, (when C.adjectella has any dark-tipped scales they are confined to the forewing apex); the costal streak of C.adjectella is also described as indistinct and not extending much beyond mid-costa. Differences in the genitalia between C.badiipennella and C.adjectella are keyed in MBGBI3 p152 as: sacculus ending in a long curved blunt tooth "partially crossing valva" in C.adjectella and "following margin of valva" in C.badiipennella - but judging from the images at Moth Dissection, this does not seem to be reliable and the blunt tooth crosses the apex of the valva in both species. Differences in the aedeagus are apparent in the MBGBI3 illustrations (p159) and may be consistent with the images as Moth Dissection: in C.badiipennella the dorsal margin of the apical curve is sclerotised more strongly than the remainder of the aedeagal tunica; in C.adjectella there is no such contrast in strength of sclerotisation. The illustrations also show a small bundle of cornuti - this is shown in the sheathed portion of the aedeagus (distal to the juxta) in C.badiipennella and in the unsheathed vesica (proximal to the juxta) in C.adjectella - this difference cannot be confirmed from the images at moth Dissection.
Male genitalia: Sacculus without a posterior process, ending in a blunt narrow curved lateral process; subapical process present at base of lateral process: C.milvipennis / C.adjectella / C.badiipennella / C.alnifoliae. (C.trigeminella lacks a subapical process and the sacculus ends in a pointed lateral process). C.milvipennis and C.alnifoliae can be excluded on size at fw>5mm and by having the apical ¼ of the antenna unringed. C.badiipennella is probably best distinguished from C.adjectella by the presence of dark-tipped scales all over the forewing, (when C.adjectella has any dark-tipped scales they are confined to the forewing apex); the costal streak of C.adjectella is also described as indistinct and not extending much beyond mid-costa. Differences in the genitalia between C.badiipennella and C.adjectella are keyed in MBGBI3 p152 as: sacculus ending in a long curved blunt tooth "partially crossing valva" in C.adjectella and "following margin of valva" in C.badiipennella - but judging from the images at Moth Dissection, this does not seem to be reliable and the blunt tooth crosses the apex of the valva in both species. Differences in the aedeagus are apparent in the MBGBI3 illustrations (p159) and may be consistent with the images as Moth Dissection: in C.badiipennella the dorsal margin of the apical curve is sclerotised more strongly than the remainder of the aedeagal tunica; in C.adjectella there is no such contrast in strength of sclerotisation. The illustrations also show a small bundle of cornuti - this is shown in the sheathed portion of the aedeagus (distal to the juxta) in C.badiipennella and in the unsheathed vesica (proximal to the juxta) in C.adjectella - this difference cannot be confirmed from the images at moth Dissection.
§1 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 05/07/2019; male; fw 3.8mm
All images © Chris Lewis
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 19/12/2019 (§1)
