37.049 Coleophora anatipennella (Pistol Case-bearer)
ws: 12.5-17.0mm; Jun-Jul; rosaceous trees esp. blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), wild cherry (Prunus avium), hawthorn (Crataegus spp), apple (Malus spp), pear (Pyrus communis), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), also lime (Tilia spp); common in S.England.
Coleophora anatipennella §1 male
ID: Forewing with ground colour white; antennal scape with a well-developed tuft > 5 species
All these species have: head white; antenna white ringed ochreous/fuscous to apex; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft; thorax white; fw costa finely edged blackish-fuscous near base; legs white, hindleg tarsal segments ringed dark fuscous at base (whether the other legs have tarsal segments ringed fuscous is not mentioned in MBGBI3 for any species except palliatella where the midleg tarsal segments are also said to be ringed fuscous at base).
Any fuscous scales are found along the veins in ibipenella, palliatella and betulella, but are scattered in anatipennella and albidella.
C.anatipennella should be distinguishable by the presence of dark-tipped apical cilia as in specimen §1, but this feature seems less apparent with wear as in specimen §2 (assuming it is correctly identified). Habitat preference for anatipennella is blackthorn scrub especially near the sea - which clearly fits Foulness better than the fens, bogs and damp woodland preferred by albidella.
C.anatipennella vs ibipennella: late Jun-Jul; fw with scattered fuscous scales, costal cila white or whitish-buff (vs) ws10-14mm; late Jul-Aug; fw often with fuscous scales on veins especially near costa towards apex, costal cilia whitish tipped beyond a dark basal line.
C.anatipennella vs palliatella: (vs) ws14-17mm; fw with vein on costal side of cell and veins near apex more or less marked fuscous; costal cilia whitish-tipped beyond a dark basal line; midleg tarsal segments ringed fuscous at base.
C.anatipennella vs betulella: (vs) ws10-15mm; varying amounts of yellow and light fuscous scaling along veins; inner costal cilia white, outer costal cilia greyish-fuscous.
C.anatipennella vs albidella: apical cilia usually dark-tipped (vs) ws13-16mm; fw with scattered ochreous or ochreous-fuscous scales; apical cilia greyish fuscous, not dark-tipped.
Male genitalia of these species and C.currucipennella are similar - the key features are described and illustrated at http://www.dissectiongroup.co.uk/
Interpretation is seriously hampered by difficulty in getting the genitalia to lay flat - this is particularly critical for the sacculus features.
C.anatipennella: valva short (about half as long as lower/ventral edge of sacculus); uncus broad tapering to a curved point; tegumen short, not constricted, somewhat tapering towards uncus; lateral edge of sacculus forming a long parallel-sided club reaching the valva; lower/ventral margin of sacculus straight; angle between lateral and ventral margins of sacculus obtuse (when laid flat the genitalia have an angular 'W'-shaped profile).
C.ibipennella: valva long (about as long as lower/ventral edge of sacculus); uncus tear-shaped, rounded at margin; tegumen constricted to give figure-of-8 profile; sacculus with extension at ventro-lateral corner; lateral margin straight, clubbed or bluntly pointed reaching valva; ventral margin straight; angle between lateral and ventral margins of sacculus 90 deg (when laid flat genitalia have an angular oblong profile).
C.palliatella (=kuehnella): valva long (about as long as lateral edge of sacculus; uncus triangular with bands of hairs leaving a clear margin at base; tegumen parallel-sided; lateral margin of sacculus terminates in a blunt tip well below valva; lower/ventral margin of sacculus concave (when genitalia laid flat).
C.betulella: valva long (longer than lateral edge but not as long as lower/ventral edge of sacculus); uncus eliptical with dark margins; tegumen almost parallel-sided; sacculus with small extension at ventro-lateral corner; lateral margin of sacculus with a twisted club which almost reaches the valva and gives the whole lateral margin a figure of 8 appearance when flat; lower/ventral margin evenly curved (convex).
C.albidella: valva long; uncus broad, rounded with flattened lower edge; sacculus with a triangular extension at ventro-lateral angle; lateral edge with a broad, curved club that doesn't reach the valva, ventral edge smoothly curved.
C.currucipennella: valva short; uncus broad, tapering to a curved point; tegumen short (only a little longer than wide); edge of sacculus evenly curved without a ventro-lateral angulation even when laid flat; sacculus ending in a slightly curved tapering club which just reaches the valva.
All these species have: head white; antenna white ringed ochreous/fuscous to apex; labial palp S2 with moderate tuft; thorax white; fw costa finely edged blackish-fuscous near base; legs white, hindleg tarsal segments ringed dark fuscous at base (whether the other legs have tarsal segments ringed fuscous is not mentioned in MBGBI3 for any species except palliatella where the midleg tarsal segments are also said to be ringed fuscous at base).
Any fuscous scales are found along the veins in ibipenella, palliatella and betulella, but are scattered in anatipennella and albidella.
C.anatipennella should be distinguishable by the presence of dark-tipped apical cilia as in specimen §1, but this feature seems less apparent with wear as in specimen §2 (assuming it is correctly identified). Habitat preference for anatipennella is blackthorn scrub especially near the sea - which clearly fits Foulness better than the fens, bogs and damp woodland preferred by albidella.
C.anatipennella vs ibipennella: late Jun-Jul; fw with scattered fuscous scales, costal cila white or whitish-buff (vs) ws10-14mm; late Jul-Aug; fw often with fuscous scales on veins especially near costa towards apex, costal cilia whitish tipped beyond a dark basal line.
C.anatipennella vs palliatella: (vs) ws14-17mm; fw with vein on costal side of cell and veins near apex more or less marked fuscous; costal cilia whitish-tipped beyond a dark basal line; midleg tarsal segments ringed fuscous at base.
C.anatipennella vs betulella: (vs) ws10-15mm; varying amounts of yellow and light fuscous scaling along veins; inner costal cilia white, outer costal cilia greyish-fuscous.
C.anatipennella vs albidella: apical cilia usually dark-tipped (vs) ws13-16mm; fw with scattered ochreous or ochreous-fuscous scales; apical cilia greyish fuscous, not dark-tipped.
Male genitalia of these species and C.currucipennella are similar - the key features are described and illustrated at http://www.dissectiongroup.co.uk/
Interpretation is seriously hampered by difficulty in getting the genitalia to lay flat - this is particularly critical for the sacculus features.
C.anatipennella: valva short (about half as long as lower/ventral edge of sacculus); uncus broad tapering to a curved point; tegumen short, not constricted, somewhat tapering towards uncus; lateral edge of sacculus forming a long parallel-sided club reaching the valva; lower/ventral margin of sacculus straight; angle between lateral and ventral margins of sacculus obtuse (when laid flat the genitalia have an angular 'W'-shaped profile).
C.ibipennella: valva long (about as long as lower/ventral edge of sacculus); uncus tear-shaped, rounded at margin; tegumen constricted to give figure-of-8 profile; sacculus with extension at ventro-lateral corner; lateral margin straight, clubbed or bluntly pointed reaching valva; ventral margin straight; angle between lateral and ventral margins of sacculus 90 deg (when laid flat genitalia have an angular oblong profile).
C.palliatella (=kuehnella): valva long (about as long as lateral edge of sacculus; uncus triangular with bands of hairs leaving a clear margin at base; tegumen parallel-sided; lateral margin of sacculus terminates in a blunt tip well below valva; lower/ventral margin of sacculus concave (when genitalia laid flat).
C.betulella: valva long (longer than lateral edge but not as long as lower/ventral edge of sacculus); uncus eliptical with dark margins; tegumen almost parallel-sided; sacculus with small extension at ventro-lateral corner; lateral margin of sacculus with a twisted club which almost reaches the valva and gives the whole lateral margin a figure of 8 appearance when flat; lower/ventral margin evenly curved (convex).
C.albidella: valva long; uncus broad, rounded with flattened lower edge; sacculus with a triangular extension at ventro-lateral angle; lateral edge with a broad, curved club that doesn't reach the valva, ventral edge smoothly curved.
C.currucipennella: valva short; uncus broad, tapering to a curved point; tegumen short (only a little longer than wide); edge of sacculus evenly curved without a ventro-lateral angulation even when laid flat; sacculus ending in a slightly curved tapering club which just reaches the valva.
§1 Foulness, Essex; 14/06/2009; male; fw 7.2mm
§2 Foulness, Essex; 26/06/2010; male; fw 7.1mm
§3 Foulness, Essex, 27/06/2015; male; fw 6.8mm
§4 Foulness, Essex; 24/06/2017; male; fw 7.1mm
§5 Foulness, Essex; 30/05/2020; male; fw 7.4mm
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Foulness, Essex; 26/06/2010; male; fw 7.1mm
§3 Foulness, Essex, 27/06/2015; male; fw 6.8mm
§4 Foulness, Essex; 24/06/2017; male; fw 7.1mm
§5 Foulness, Essex; 30/05/2020; male; fw 7.4mm
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published March 2011 (§1&2) | §3 added 09/02/2016 | 2 images labelled as §2 removed (wrong individual and misidentified) |
§4 added 22/10/2017 | §5 added 10/06/2020
§4 added 22/10/2017 | §5 added 10/06/2020