32.019 Agonopterix ciliella (Banded Brindled Brown)
ws: 19-24mm (MBGBI4.1), fw 9.5-12mm (Sterling & Parsons); Aug-May; wide range of Apiaceae (Umbellifers); common throughout GB
Agonopterix ciiella §2 male
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ID: Forewing not dark purplish or crimson-brown, with more than one white dot in disc, (no dark line from discal dot to tornus, terminal cilia not pinkish, without red mark in disc, veins not dark-lined, base not irrorate white); labial palp S3 with one or more dark bands; hindwing light greyish fuscous (not dark grey); apex and termen rounded (A.scopariella has costa straight in outer 2/3, apex squared, apical half of termen straight); hindwing cilia often pink-tinged, with 5 fuscous ciliary lines > A.ciliella
A.ciliella may be further suspected by a pinkish tinge to the underside - §2 shows this particularly on the underside of the labial palps. (A.heracliana has hw cilia not pink-tinged and usually 2 or 3 fuscous ciliary lines). Caution: A.heracliana may show 5 ciliary lines. The identity of §1 on this page was not confirmed by gen.det, so its identitiy is not certain. I examined numerous A.heracliana/ciliella between 2008 and 2024 and they all proved to be A.heracliana. 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". |
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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, and personal correspondence with Peter Hall informs me that he is also unaware of any diagnostic ostial feature. Further 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 Foulness, Essex; 27/07/2008; male; fw 9.5mm
§2 Glen Lochy, Perthshire; 08/04/2025; male; fw 10.2mm
§3 Foulness, Essex; 19/07/2025; female; fw 9.3mm
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Glen Lochy, Perthshire; 08/04/2025; male; fw 10.2mm
§3 Foulness, Essex; 19/07/2025; female; fw 9.3mm
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 15/12/2011 (§1) | §2 added 17/04/2025 | §3 added 11/11/2025
