04.068 Trifurcula immundella (Broom Dot)
ws: 7-8mm (MBGBI1), 6-8.4mm (Nepticuloidea.info); Jun-Aug; broom (Cytisus scoparius); common throughout GB
ID: Head orange-yellow mixed fuscous, collar pale yellowish, eye-caps white. Forewing coarsely scaled, greyish-white, irrorate fuscous-brown. Male hindwing with a large oval patch of yellow androconial scales on the underside. Antennal segments ♂35-43, ♀34-40 (38 segments in §1).
There are 6 Trifurcula species on the British list. T.cryptella, T.eurema and T.subnitidella are small and dark.
T.cryptella - [ws; 5mm (MBGBI1), 4-4.6mm (Hants Moths)] (pale costal spot according to Neptoculoidea.info); male with large patch of yellow androconial scales on hindwing underside.
T.eurema [ws: 4-5mm (MBGBI1), 4.5-7mm (Hants Moths)] with distally placed pale costal and dorsal spots
T.subnitidella: [ws: 4-5mm (MBGBI1), 4.2-5.8mm (Nepticuloidea.info)] no pale spots. In male - underside of basal ¼ of forewing with yellow scales; underside of hindwing with a row of lamellar black scales near frenulum. antenna with 31-36 segments (other species have more).
T.beirnei and T.squamatella have a similar head and forewing pattern to T.immundella but they average larger. T.squamatella has a higher number of antennal segments and in Britain is only known from SE.Suffolk. Features for distinguishing T.beirnei are unclear but it has not been recorded in Scotland
T.beirnei: [ws: 8-9mm (MBGBI1), 8-11mm (Nepticuloidea.info)] Listed as T.pallidella in MBGBI1 and it is not clear whether the description is of T.beirnei or T.pallidella. Listed but not described at Nepticuloidea.info. No images at Moth Dissection
T.squamatella [ws: ♂7.8-9.8mm, ♀8.4-10mm (Nepticuloidea.info)]; antenna with 46-55 segments
There are 6 Trifurcula species on the British list. T.cryptella, T.eurema and T.subnitidella are small and dark.
T.cryptella - [ws; 5mm (MBGBI1), 4-4.6mm (Hants Moths)] (pale costal spot according to Neptoculoidea.info); male with large patch of yellow androconial scales on hindwing underside.
T.eurema [ws: 4-5mm (MBGBI1), 4.5-7mm (Hants Moths)] with distally placed pale costal and dorsal spots
T.subnitidella: [ws: 4-5mm (MBGBI1), 4.2-5.8mm (Nepticuloidea.info)] no pale spots. In male - underside of basal ¼ of forewing with yellow scales; underside of hindwing with a row of lamellar black scales near frenulum. antenna with 31-36 segments (other species have more).
T.beirnei and T.squamatella have a similar head and forewing pattern to T.immundella but they average larger. T.squamatella has a higher number of antennal segments and in Britain is only known from SE.Suffolk. Features for distinguishing T.beirnei are unclear but it has not been recorded in Scotland
T.beirnei: [ws: 8-9mm (MBGBI1), 8-11mm (Nepticuloidea.info)] Listed as T.pallidella in MBGBI1 and it is not clear whether the description is of T.beirnei or T.pallidella. Listed but not described at Nepticuloidea.info. No images at Moth Dissection
T.squamatella [ws: ♂7.8-9.8mm, ♀8.4-10mm (Nepticuloidea.info)]; antenna with 46-55 segments
§1 Loch Fyne, Perthshire; 29/07/2022; female; fw 3.8mm; netted by day
L1: Pound Wood, Essex; 28/03/2020
All images © Chris Lewis
L1: Pound Wood, Essex; 28/03/2020
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 19/11/2022 (§1 & L1)