49.365 Pammene albuginana (Scarce Oak Gall Moth)
ws: 9-13mm; Jun; hymenopterous oak galls; NS-B oak woods in S.England
Pammene albuginana §1 male
ID: According to BTM differs from P.argyrana by darker general colour; usually more obscure medio-dorsal blotch (variable from obscure to clear in P.albuginana, always conspicuous but with a variable amount of dark strigulation in P.argyrana); uniformly fuscous hindwing in male (sharply demarcated black-brown border in male P.argyrana).
Male genitalia: Illustrated in BTM and images available at Moth Dissection. P.albuginana identified by shallowly emarginate ventral margin of valva (deeply notched in P.splendidulana), without a sharp angulation at junction between neck and cucullus (present in P.luedersiana), without prominent saccular spines (present in P.suspectana and P.argyrana). P.obscurana is similar to P.albuginana but the emargination is shorter and deeper and the margin of the sacculus straighter. In P.ignorata the emargination is very shallow and there are 1 or 2 saccular spines (although these look rather different to the spines of P.suspectana and P.argyrana)
Note that §1 was taken in Gwynedd; the moth and its genitalia look convincing to me for this species, but I cannot trace any other Welsh records.
Male genitalia: Illustrated in BTM and images available at Moth Dissection. P.albuginana identified by shallowly emarginate ventral margin of valva (deeply notched in P.splendidulana), without a sharp angulation at junction between neck and cucullus (present in P.luedersiana), without prominent saccular spines (present in P.suspectana and P.argyrana). P.obscurana is similar to P.albuginana but the emargination is shorter and deeper and the margin of the sacculus straighter. In P.ignorata the emargination is very shallow and there are 1 or 2 saccular spines (although these look rather different to the spines of P.suspectana and P.argyrana)
Note that §1 was taken in Gwynedd; the moth and its genitalia look convincing to me for this species, but I cannot trace any other Welsh records.
§1 Cyffdy Farm, Gwynedd; 22/06/2010; male; fw 5.7mm
§2 Arne, Dorset; 07/07/2016; male; fw 5.1mm; to light
§3 Pound Wood, Essex; 07/06/2022; fw 5.6mm
§4 Stour Wood, Essex; 26/05/2022; female; fw 5.6mm
§5 Stour Wood, Essex; 26/05/2022; female; fw 5.6mm
§6 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 06/05/2024; male; fw 5.9mm; to FUN
§7 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 18/05/2024; male; fw 6.3mm; to FUN
§8 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 18/05/2024; male; fw 5.1mm; to FUN
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Arne, Dorset; 07/07/2016; male; fw 5.1mm; to light
§3 Pound Wood, Essex; 07/06/2022; fw 5.6mm
§4 Stour Wood, Essex; 26/05/2022; female; fw 5.6mm
§5 Stour Wood, Essex; 26/05/2022; female; fw 5.6mm
§6 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 06/05/2024; male; fw 5.9mm; to FUN
§7 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 18/05/2024; male; fw 6.3mm; to FUN
§8 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 18/05/2024; male; fw 5.1mm; to FUN
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 02/02/2013 (§1) | §2 added 29/11/2016 | §3 added 02/10/2022 | §4&5 added 08/12/2022 | §6-8 added 24/05/2024
