048 Elachista consortella

ELACHISTIDAE

38.048 Elachista consortella (Meadow Grass-miner)

ws: 7-8mm; bi- or trivoltine Mar-Sep; annual meadow-grass (Poa annua); common in well-drained grassland in scattered localities throughout Britain except N.Scotland.
Synonym: Biselachista consortella - MBGBI3

Elachista consortella §4 male

ID: Specimen §1 was not confirmed by genital dissection but this is the only former Cosmiotes species likely to occur so early in the year.
Keys in MBGBI3 as: forewing with pale markings involving the bases of terminal cilia; frons beige, neck tufts mottled.
Male genitalia: claw-like uncus lobes > E.freyerella/consortella/stabilella; vestigial apical spur on valva, aedeagus curved at 1/2 > E.consortella

Variation
Dissection
Male genitalia
Female genitalia

§1 Bryher, Isles of Scilly; 06/04/2007
§2 Bryher, Isles of Scilly, 07/04/2007
§3 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 03/10/2011; male; fw 3.5mm
§4 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 29/09/2012; male; fw 3.4mm
§5 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 17/10/2019; male; fw 3.0mm; netted by day
§6 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 22/10/2019; male; fw 3.4mm; netted by day
§7 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; ??/10/2021; male; fw 3.2mm
§8 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; ??/10/2021; male; fw 3.1mm
All images © Chris Lewis