37.017 Coleophora prunifoliae (New Sloe Case-bearer)
ws: 9-12mm; Jun-Jul; blackthorn (Prunus spinosa); recognised as a separate species from 1980, NS-B in scattered colonies in England.
Coleophora prunifoliae §1 male
ID: Forewing plain, unicolorous, not white, without white markings; not metallic; antenna white ringed fuscous throughout; forewing fuscous without stigma > 11species requiring genital examination to confirm ID. Of these C.coracipennella and C.spinella are probably indistinguishable from C.prunifoliae on external characters. C.serratella is also similar and has somewhat similar male genitalia but it has the antennal rings obscured towards the apex.
C.prunifoliae vs potentillae: presence/absence/size of tuft on S2 of labial palp not recorded in MBGBI3, individuals I have identified as this species show a minimal tuft; tarsal segments fuscous with pale distal band (vs) ws8.0-9.5mm; basal 2(m) or 4(f) segments of flagellum dark fuscous; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft.
C.prunifoliae vs ahenella: (vs) ws10-13mm; basal 2-3 segments of flagellum fuscous in female; labial palp S2 with short (m) or moderate (f) tuft.
C.prunifoliae vs juncicolella: (vs) ws 6-8mm; labial palps short, grey
C.prunifoliae vs vitisella: (vs) not recorded in S.England; ws10-13mm; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft.
C.prunifoliae vs idaeella: (vs) Scotland only; ws 11.5-15mm;
C.prunifoliae vs glitzella: (vs) Scotland only; ws10-14mm; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft.
C.prunifoliae vs deviella: (vs) saltmarsh; ws9-10mm;
C.prunifoliae vs gryphipennella: (vs) ws10.5-13mm; forewing cilia light ochreous-fuscous; tarsal segments of mid & hindleg pale distally (but not foreleg?)
C.prunifoliae vs coracipennella (vs) ws 9-12mm; tarsal segments of foreleg not or only slightly paler distally
C.prunifoliae vs spinella: (vs) ws 10.5-12mm; externally identical
Male genitalia: Margin of sacculus - straight in C.coracipennella, slightly angled in C.prunifoliae, serrate in C.spinella.
C.prunifoliae vs potentillae: presence/absence/size of tuft on S2 of labial palp not recorded in MBGBI3, individuals I have identified as this species show a minimal tuft; tarsal segments fuscous with pale distal band (vs) ws8.0-9.5mm; basal 2(m) or 4(f) segments of flagellum dark fuscous; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft.
C.prunifoliae vs ahenella: (vs) ws10-13mm; basal 2-3 segments of flagellum fuscous in female; labial palp S2 with short (m) or moderate (f) tuft.
C.prunifoliae vs juncicolella: (vs) ws 6-8mm; labial palps short, grey
C.prunifoliae vs vitisella: (vs) not recorded in S.England; ws10-13mm; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft.
C.prunifoliae vs idaeella: (vs) Scotland only; ws 11.5-15mm;
C.prunifoliae vs glitzella: (vs) Scotland only; ws10-14mm; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft.
C.prunifoliae vs deviella: (vs) saltmarsh; ws9-10mm;
C.prunifoliae vs gryphipennella: (vs) ws10.5-13mm; forewing cilia light ochreous-fuscous; tarsal segments of mid & hindleg pale distally (but not foreleg?)
C.prunifoliae vs coracipennella (vs) ws 9-12mm; tarsal segments of foreleg not or only slightly paler distally
C.prunifoliae vs spinella: (vs) ws 10.5-12mm; externally identical
Male genitalia: Margin of sacculus - straight in C.coracipennella, slightly angled in C.prunifoliae, serrate in C.spinella.
§1 Ham Fen, Kent; 10/08/2010; male; fw 5.6mm
§2 Pound Wood, Essex; 13/07/2020; male; fw 5.2mm
§3 Pound Wood, Essex; 13/07/2020; male; fw 5.3mm
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Pound Wood, Essex; 13/07/2020; male; fw 5.2mm
§3 Pound Wood, Essex; 13/07/2020; male; fw 5.3mm
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published November 2011 (§1) | §2&3 added 30/01/2021
