12.031 Tinea columbariella (Dovecot Moth)
ws: 8-16mm; all year, mostly summer; birds nests near buildings; NS-B local in S.England.
Tinea columbariella §1 male
ID: From key in MBGBI2 - forewing without hyaline patch, unicolorous and almost unmarked, pale greyish-brown (not dark purplish-fuscous or ochreous-yellow) > T.columbariella OR with some, usually indistinct, markings - when it is very similar to T.pellionella/dubiella/flavescentella and Niditinea fuscella/striolella - in all of which the stigmata are usually prominent.
Male genitalia: saccus about as long as valva; aedeagus >2x as long as valva and of even diameter; valva with a subapical process. In the other Tinea species mentioned above have the saccus ~ 1.5x as long as the valva, which lacks a subapical process (these species also have a long aedeagus of even diameter - so in T.columbariella the aedeagus is clearly longer than valva+succus, while in T.pellionella/dubiella/flavescentella the aedeagus is ±= valva+saccus). N.striolella has a simple valva, the aedeagus has a bulbous basal half and the saccus is shorter than the valva. N.fuscella has a valva with a complex apex and the aedeagus is only marginally longer than the valva.
Male genitalia: saccus about as long as valva; aedeagus >2x as long as valva and of even diameter; valva with a subapical process. In the other Tinea species mentioned above have the saccus ~ 1.5x as long as the valva, which lacks a subapical process (these species also have a long aedeagus of even diameter - so in T.columbariella the aedeagus is clearly longer than valva+succus, while in T.pellionella/dubiella/flavescentella the aedeagus is ±= valva+saccus). N.striolella has a simple valva, the aedeagus has a bulbous basal half and the saccus is shorter than the valva. N.fuscella has a valva with a complex apex and the aedeagus is only marginally longer than the valva.
§1 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 01/07/2015; male; fw 4.0mm; to light
§2 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 27/05/2018; female; fw 7.0mm; to light
§3 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 29/06/2019; female; to light
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 27/05/2018; female; fw 7.0mm; to light
§3 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 29/06/2019; female; to light
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 04/10/2015 (§1) | §2 added 10/03/2019 | §3 added 20/02/2020
