015 Coleophora serratella

COLEOPHORIDAE

37.015 Coleophora serratella (Common Case-bearer)

ws: 10.5-14mm; Jul-Aug; elm, birch, alder, hazel; common throughout Britain - probably the commonest Coleophora species in Britain.

Coleophora serratella §3 female

ID: Forewing plain, unicolorous, not white, without white markings; not metallic; antenna white ringed fuscous but only obscurely ringed in apical portion; forewing fuscous > 4 species which may require genital examination to confirm identification.
C.serratella vs lusciniaepennella: Labial palp S2 scarcely tufted (vs) S2 with a moderate tuft.
C.serratella vs orbitella: Antenna ringed almost to apex where the rings become obscured (vs) antenna ringed to middle
C.serratella vs siccifolia: (vs) antenna ringed to 3/4; labial palp S2 with a short tuft
C.serratella vs potentiallae: (vs) ws:8.5-9.5mm; basal 2(m) or 4(f) segments of flagellum dark fuscous; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft
C.coracipennella & C.prunifoliae have somewhat similar male genitalia but have fully ringed antennae. (They are further separated from serratella in the key in MBGBI3 by having dark tipped scales in the forewing, but I am far from convinced that serratella does not show this feature).

Variation
Dissection
Male genitalia
Female genitalia
Larva

§2 Ham Fen, Kent; 10/08/2010; female; fw 5.3mm
§3 Foulness, Essex; 31/07/2011; female; fw 5.7mm
§4 Glen Urquart, Inverness-shire; 18/07/2012; male; fw 5.6mm
§5 Snettisham, Norfolk; 12/06/2014; male; fw 5.9mm
§6 Cherry Orchard CP, Essex; male; emerged on 06/06/2015 from larval case collected 12/05/2015; fw 5.8mm
§7 Cherry Orchard CP, Essex; female; emerged on 04/07/2015 from larval case collected 12/05/2015; fw 6.1mm
§8 Winterton, Norfolk; 06/08/2015; female; fw 4.4mm; to light
§9 Arne, Dorset; 04/07/2016; female; fw 5.3mm; to light
All images © Chris Lewis

§10 Pound Wood, Essex; 30/06/2019; male; fw 5.2mm; to light
§11 Pound Wood, Essex; 11/07/2019; male; fw 5.3mm; to light