062 Scoparia subfusca

63.062 Scoparia subfusca (Large Grey)

ws: 20-27mm (Goater), fw: 10-13mm (Sterling & Parsons); Jun-Jul; ox-tongue (Picris spp); common throughout GB, smaller and darker specimens in N, W and on mountains.

Scoparia subfusca §2 female

ID: usually recognisable by a combination of size (no other Scoparine has specimens in the size range ws: 23-27mm except Eudonia alpina, but there is overlap with several species in the ws: 20-23mm range); fairly uniform light brownish-grey colour; indistinct markings
Male genitalia: Aedeagus with two discrete cornutal bundles, each bundle consisting of 1 or 2 (or 3?) strong cornuti arising from a relatively small plate at their base, which is much shorter than any of the cornuti.
Female genitalia: Antrum not much broader than ductus bursae; posterio sclerotisation of ductus bursae short and broad; no anterior sclerotisation.
See Scopariinae ID for more information on identification of species from this subfamily.

Variation
Dissection
Male genitalia
Female genitalia

§1 Foulness, Essex; 27/07/2008
§2 Foulness, Essex; 05/07/2009; female; fw 11.7mm
§3 Foulness, Essex; 02/08/2009; male; fw 12.0mm
§4 Foulness, Essex; 16/08/2009
§5 Ham Fen, Kent; 16/07/2010; male; fw 10.4mm
§6 Arnside, Cumbria; 26/07/2013; female
§7 Portland, Dorset; 20/07/2016; male; fw 10.9mm; netted by day
§8 Foulness, Essex; 03/08/2018; male; fw 10.0mm; to light
§9 Bampton Grange, Cumbria; 29/08/2022; female; fw 10.0mm
§10 Bampton Grange, Cumbria; 10/06/2023; male; fw 11.3mm
All images © Chris Lewis