73.232 Aporophyla (Phylapora) lueneburgensis (Deep-brown Dart)
fw: 15-18mm (Waring & Townsend), ws: 38-42mm (MBGBI10); Sep-Oct; various woody and herbaceous plants and grasses; common in open habitats in England south of a Severn-Humber line.
Aporophyla lueneburgensis (Deep-brown Dart) §5 female
ID: Form lutulenta: Ground colour ranges from deep brownish-grey to blackish with a broad darker median fascia that may be obscured. Hindwing of male white with or without a row of central black dots or dashes, hindwing of female dark grey. Antenna bipectinate in male, sparsely ciliate in female.
Form lueneburgensis (Northern Deep-brown Dart) is similar; it may be dusted with grey either side of the blackish median fascia which is consequently bold; blackish markings on the male hindwing are usually better-developed and may fuse to form a curved line.
The two forms are said to be largely separated geographically, with an overlap zone in northern England - however several examples I have found in Northern Scotland have forewing patterns indistinguishable from those I have found in southern England and a few I have taken in southern England hint at the lueneburgensis pattern. However, I have only found really well-developed luenebergensis pattern in Northern Scotland.
The two forms are treated as subspecies in MBGBI10 and then as separate species until lumped again in 2023. The size ranges quoted in MBGBI10 suggest that A.leuneburgensis is smaller (ws: 34-38mm) with little overlap, but the size ranges quoted in Waring & Townsend overlap entirely. A.nigra (Black Rustic) is larger (fw 17-21mm, ws 40-60mm), blacker, usually has a distinct white distal edge to the kidney mark and the male antenna is fasciculate.
Form lueneburgensis (Northern Deep-brown Dart) is similar; it may be dusted with grey either side of the blackish median fascia which is consequently bold; blackish markings on the male hindwing are usually better-developed and may fuse to form a curved line.
The two forms are said to be largely separated geographically, with an overlap zone in northern England - however several examples I have found in Northern Scotland have forewing patterns indistinguishable from those I have found in southern England and a few I have taken in southern England hint at the lueneburgensis pattern. However, I have only found really well-developed luenebergensis pattern in Northern Scotland.
The two forms are treated as subspecies in MBGBI10 and then as separate species until lumped again in 2023. The size ranges quoted in MBGBI10 suggest that A.leuneburgensis is smaller (ws: 34-38mm) with little overlap, but the size ranges quoted in Waring & Townsend overlap entirely. A.nigra (Black Rustic) is larger (fw 17-21mm, ws 40-60mm), blacker, usually has a distinct white distal edge to the kidney mark and the male antenna is fasciculate.
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§1 Foulness, Essex; 27/09/2008; male; fw 16.7mm
§2 Foulness, Essex; 19/09/2009; female; fw 15.6mm §3 Foulness, Essex; 18/09/2010; male §4 Foulness, Essex; 17/09/2011; male; fw 17.3mm §5 Foulness, Essex; 03/10/2015; female; fw 16.8mm §6 Corfe, Dorset; 09/09/2020; male; fw 14.8mm All images © Chris Lewis |
§7 Cromdale, Moray; 27/08/2024; male
§8 Rhue, Ross & Cromarty; 31/08/2024; male §9 Rhue, Ross & Cromarty; 31/08/2024; female §10 Rhue, Ross & Cromarty; 01/09/2024; male §11 Rhue, Ross & Cromarty; 04/09/2024; female §12 Rhue, Ross & Cromarty; 06/09/2024; female |
Page published 14/06/2016 (§1-5) | §6 added 26/12/2020 | §7-12 added 11/09/2024
