32.018 Agonopterix heracliana (Common Brindled Brown)
ws: 15-21mm; Jul-May; many species of Apiaceae (Umbellifers); common throughout GB
Agonopterix heracliana §4 female
ID from key in MBGBI4.1: Forewing not dark purplish or crimson-brown, with more than one white dot in disc, without red mark in disc, with a pair of obliquely placed black dots in disc at 1/3, without dark line from white dot to tornus, apex not subfalcate, veins not dark-lined; labial palp S3 with one or more dark bands; hindwing light greyish fuscous (not dark grey); upperside of abdomen not blackish medially and buff laterally; forewing costa gently arched, apex rounded, termen rounded (A.scopariella has costa straight in outer 2/3, apex squared, apical half of termen straight); hindwing cilia not pink-tinged, with 2 or 3 fuscous ciliary lines > A.heracliana (A.ciliella has hw cilia often pink-tinged and 5 fuscous ciliary lines).
Male genitalia: A.heracliana and A.ciliella are very similar. The difference is described in MBGBI4.1 thus: "A.ciliella has the distal process of the sacculus (cuiller) straight but twisted on its long axis, whereas in A.heracliana it is sinuate and not twisted".
Female genitalia: A.heracliana and A.ciliella are very similar and at present I would say they are not reliably separable. A difference is described in MBGBI4.1 thus: in "A.ciliella the signum is small and rounded, whereas in A.heracliana it is larger and oblong". However, comparing images at Moth Dissection suggests that the size of the signum is not discernibly different between these two species and its shape is variable in both. The ostium is arrowed in some images at Moth Dissection, presumably implying a diagnostic difference but there is intraspecific variability in ostial shape across the images such that I am unable to say what diagnostic difference is being indicated. Discussion with Peter Hall suggests that there may be a difference in the number of teeth on the signum (fewer teeth in A.ciliella) and/or in the amount of variability in the size of the teeth (more uniformly sized in A.ciliella).
Male genitalia: A.heracliana and A.ciliella are very similar. The difference is described in MBGBI4.1 thus: "A.ciliella has the distal process of the sacculus (cuiller) straight but twisted on its long axis, whereas in A.heracliana it is sinuate and not twisted".
Female genitalia: A.heracliana and A.ciliella are very similar and at present I would say they are not reliably separable. A difference is described in MBGBI4.1 thus: in "A.ciliella the signum is small and rounded, whereas in A.heracliana it is larger and oblong". However, comparing images at Moth Dissection suggests that the size of the signum is not discernibly different between these two species and its shape is variable in both. The ostium is arrowed in some images at Moth Dissection, presumably implying a diagnostic difference but there is intraspecific variability in ostial shape across the images such that I am unable to say what diagnostic difference is being indicated. Discussion with Peter Hall suggests that there may be a difference in the number of teeth on the signum (fewer teeth in A.ciliella) and/or in the amount of variability in the size of the teeth (more uniformly sized in A.ciliella).
§1 Ham Fen, Kent; 10/08/2010; male; fw 9.5mm
§2 Aldbrough, East Yorkshire; 05/09/2010; male; fw 9.5mm
§3 Ham Fen, Kent; 12/11/2010; male; fw 9.2mm
§4 Foulness, Essex; 24/07/2011; female; fw 9.1mm
§5 Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk; 25/07/2014; male; fw 9.1mm
§6 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 20/10/2016; male; fw 9.8mm; to light
§7 Bampton Grange, Cumbria; 17/08/2017; female; fw 9.5mm
§8 Cliburn Moss, Cumbria; 22/03/2022; male; fw 8.4mm
§9 Cliburn Moss, Cumbria; 12/05/2022; female; fw 8.9mm
§10 Sutton Fen, Norfolk; 11/07/2022; male; 10.4mm
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Aldbrough, East Yorkshire; 05/09/2010; male; fw 9.5mm
§3 Ham Fen, Kent; 12/11/2010; male; fw 9.2mm
§4 Foulness, Essex; 24/07/2011; female; fw 9.1mm
§5 Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk; 25/07/2014; male; fw 9.1mm
§6 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 20/10/2016; male; fw 9.8mm; to light
§7 Bampton Grange, Cumbria; 17/08/2017; female; fw 9.5mm
§8 Cliburn Moss, Cumbria; 22/03/2022; male; fw 8.4mm
§9 Cliburn Moss, Cumbria; 12/05/2022; female; fw 8.9mm
§10 Sutton Fen, Norfolk; 11/07/2022; male; 10.4mm
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 14/12/2011 (§1-4) | §5 added 05/08/2014 | §6 added 09/11/2016 | §7 added 05/01/2018 | §8 added 09/05/2022 |
§9 added 08/09/2022 | §10 added 17/12/2022
§9 added 08/09/2022 | §10 added 17/12/2022
