025 Parornix betulae

GRACILLARIIDAE | Gracillariinae | Parornix

15.025 Parornix betulae (Birch Parornix)

ws:9–10mm; bivoltine May, Aug; birch (Betula spp); common throught UK in heaths and woodland with young birch seedlings at dusk.

Parornix betulae §1 male

ID: Key: head rough-haired; forewing whitish heavily irrorate fuscous, without a strongly contrasting white pattern, with many pale costal strigulae; > 9 species which need genital dissection for confident identification. According to the key in MBGBI2 this species is distinguished by the forewing pattern not being tinged ochreous and by the terminal cilia being white-tipped at the apex - I would not have reached the ID for §1 from this key.
Male genitalia: (see Parornix for more details and below for images)
1) No sclerotised portion of vesica beyond the aedeagal sheath; variable filamentous apex; 2} Saccus longer than wide with a small blob-end;
3) Valva: lateral margin fairly evenly rounded; 4) Juxta lobes medium length, gradually tapering to apex.
Female genitalia: (see Parornix for more details and below for images)
1) Sterigma and ostium weakly sclerotised; ostium small; near posterior margin; no identifiable IV. 2) DB about same length as CB.
3) DB narrow throughout its length, broadening abruptly at junction with BC; 4) 2 fairly distinct, somewhat linear, spiculate signa

Variation
Dissection
Male genitalia
Female genitalia

§1 Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk; 25/07/2014; male; fw 4.7mm
§2 Winterton, Norfolk; 06/08/2015; male; fw 4.2mm; to light
§3 Winterton, Norfolk; 06/08/2015; female; fw 4.2mm; to light
§4 Foulden Common, Norfolk; 14/08/2016; female; fw 4.8mm
§5 Foulden Common, Norfolk; 23/05/2016; male; fw 4.8mm
§6 Bernwood Forest, Buckinghamshire; 18/04/2018; male; fw 4.6mm
§7 Pound Wood, Essex; 05/08/2020; female; fw 4.4mm
§8 Stour Wood, Essex; 08/07/2021; male; fw 4.5mm
§9 Pound Wood, Essex; 25/08/2021; male; fw 4.6mm
§10 Covert Woods, Kent; 09/05/2022; female; fw 4.5mm
All images © Chris Lewis