Generic features: Head with scales forward-projecting anteriorly, tufted posteriorly and at sides; Antenna 3/4 length of fw, shortly setose in male, simple in female; scape with pecten; Labial palp long, curved dorsally; S2 longer than S3; S2 with dense ventral furrowed brush of scales
Forewing elongate-ovate; apex defined, rounded or squared (or subfalcate in A.nervosa), termen usually straight in costal half; V8&7 long stalk, V2&3 stalked; Hindwing ovate, anal angle dilated; V3&4 connate or on a short stalk
Male genitalia: socii well-developed, uncus usually represented by a small prominence between socii; gnathos single, spined, oblong, borne on 2 slender arms from tegumen; valva triangular, cucullus pointed or rounded, sacculus with terminal free process; aedeagus short and stumpy, usually curved, with bunch of numerous fine cornuti
Female genitalia: OB on S8; DB & CB membranous; signum dentate the teeth arranged in rows.
Forewing elongate-ovate; apex defined, rounded or squared (or subfalcate in A.nervosa), termen usually straight in costal half; V8&7 long stalk, V2&3 stalked; Hindwing ovate, anal angle dilated; V3&4 connate or on a short stalk
Male genitalia: socii well-developed, uncus usually represented by a small prominence between socii; gnathos single, spined, oblong, borne on 2 slender arms from tegumen; valva triangular, cucullus pointed or rounded, sacculus with terminal free process; aedeagus short and stumpy, usually curved, with bunch of numerous fine cornuti
Female genitalia: OB on S8; DB & CB membranous; signum dentate the teeth arranged in rows.
Key to species of Agonopterix
Keys are presented in 5 groups
Some species key in more than one place
Keys are presented in 5 groups
- A. Forewing dark purplish or crimson brown
- B. Forewing with at least one white/whitish dot in disc
- C. Upper aspect of foretibia and tarsus uniformly dark fuscous or black
- D. Labial palp S3 without dark markings
- E. Labial palp S3 with dark markings
Some species key in more than one place
A. Forewing dark purplish or crimson brown |
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ws: 11-15mm fw: 6-7mm |
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ws: 17-20mm, fw: 8-10mm |
Tegulae dark purplish contrasting with thorax |
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Tegulae and thorax concolorous |
Agonopteryx purpurea
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Agonopteryx liturosa
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Agonopteryx conterminella
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B. Forewing with at least one white/whitish dot in disc |
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Dark line from white discal dot to tornus |
A.astrantae |
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Terminal cilia pinkish from apex, buff around tornus |
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Discrete red mark in disc |
Head, thorax and base of forewing white, contrasting strongly with rest of forewing |
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Head, thorax and base of forewing buff, concolorous with rest of forewing |
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Forewing veins dark-lined |
Apex of labial palp S3 buff** |
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Labial palp S3 with dark fuscous bands and tip |
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Labial palp S3 entirely buff |
A.atomella |
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Forewing with only one white/whitish dot in disc |
Forewing dark brownish fuscous, S3 of labial palp with one dark band and pale tip |
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Forewing buff, S3 of labial palp with two dark bands and dark tip |
ws16-17mm; fw ~8mm |
A.curvipunctosa |
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ws 18-22mm; fw 9-11mm |
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Forewing with more than one white/whitish dots in disc* |
Forewing base heavily irrorate with white scales |
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Hindwing dark grey |
Abdominal dorsum blackish medially, buff laterally |
A.capreolella |
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Apex squared |
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Hindwing cilia with 5 fuscous lines |
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Hindwing cilia with 2-3 fuscous lines |
* Specimens keying here may need genital dissection for confirmation of species
** MBGBI4.1 keys the entire S3 as buff but it isn't
** MBGBI4.1 keys the entire S3 as buff but it isn't
Agonopteryx nervosa - Terminal cilia pinkish from apex, buff around tornus
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Agonopterix alstromeriana - Red mark in disc; head and thorax contrastingly white
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Agonopterix ocellana - Red mark in disc; head and thorax concolorous with forewing
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Agonopterix conterminella - S3 of labial palp with one dark band and pale tip (also see Key A.)
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Agonopterix cnicella - Forewing base irrorate with white scales
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Agonopterix yeatiana - S3 of labial palp with 2 dark bands and dark tip (extreme apex)
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Agonopterix putridella - Apex of S3 of labial palps buff
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Agonopterix scopariella - Apex squared
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Agonopterix ciliella - Hindwing cilia with 5 fuscous lines
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Agonopterix heracliana - Hindwing cilia with 2-3 fuscous lines
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Comment: the separation of A.heracliana / A.ciliella seems particularly difficult, partly because it is not always easy to determine the number of ciliary lines with certainty and partly because genital differences are minor and I am not sure I have mastered them yet - more work needed.
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Agonopterix kaekeritziana - Forewing with orange or ferruginous markings
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Agonopterix umbellana - Forewing veins dark-lined
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Agonopterix angelicella - Forewing with fuscous blotch extending towards tornus
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E. Labial palp S3 with dark markings |
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Terminal cilia pinkish from apex, buff around tornus |
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Forewing with black/cloudy fuscous blotch in disc |
Blotch at 3/5 somewhat extended towards tornus |
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Blotch at or proximal to 1/2 not extended towards tornus |
Forewing underside buff, disc hardly darker than border |
A.carduella |
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Forewing underside fuscous, disc darker than buff border |
> Key E1 |
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Forewing with veins dark-lined |
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ws 20-22mm |
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ws 14-19mm |
Forewing with basal fuscous line |
Forewing with black terminal dots |
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Forewing without terminal dots |
A.curvipunctosa |
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Forewing without basal fuscous line, but sometimes with basal dot |
Forewing with blackish terminal dots |
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Forewing without terminal dots |
A.nanatella |
Agonopteryx nervosa - Terminal cilia pinkish from apex, buff around tornus
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Agonopterix rotundella
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Agonopterix umbellana - Forewing veins dark-lined
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Key E1:
fw basal fuscous line |
fw black terminal dots |
fw darker brown suffusion |
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indistinct |
absent |
variable speckling |
A.nanatella |
present |
present |
blotchy |
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present |
indistinct (variable) |
fairly smooth |
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absent |
indstinct (variable) |
smooth |
The four species keyed here are all somewhat variable. They share the features that bring them to this point in the key: forewing ground colour brown, without a white spot in the disc, with a blackish cloud in the disc at or proximal to ½; with a chequered foretibia; with dark marks on segment 3 of the labial palps; forewing underside fuscous with a buff border.
A.arenella is further distinguished by having vein 6 dark-lined. This is not a very distinctive marking but may help distinguish A.arenella from A.propinquella.
In A.nanatella the dark marks on S3 of the labial palps may be indistinct.
The key in MBGBI4.1 distinguishes A.nanatella from A.arenella and A.subpropinquella by it having a buff tip to segment 3 of the labial palps; in my experience all three species can have a buff tip and when the tip is dark this may be just a few scales such that the distinction is uncertain; it is certainly an unreliable means of identifying A.nantella.
A.arenella is further distinguished by having vein 6 dark-lined. This is not a very distinctive marking but may help distinguish A.arenella from A.propinquella.
In A.nanatella the dark marks on S3 of the labial palps may be indistinct.
The key in MBGBI4.1 distinguishes A.nanatella from A.arenella and A.subpropinquella by it having a buff tip to segment 3 of the labial palps; in my experience all three species can have a buff tip and when the tip is dark this may be just a few scales such that the distinction is uncertain; it is certainly an unreliable means of identifying A.nantella.
Group E1: Forewing underside fuscous, disc darker than buff border
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Agonopterix arenella - basal fuscous line present (arrowed); terminal dots distinct; blotchy brown suffusion; short streak on V6 (arrowed)
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Agonopterix propinquella - basal fuscous line present; terminal dots indistinct; brown suffusion fairly smooth
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Agonopterix subpropinquella - basal fuscous line absent; terminal dots indistinct; suffusion smooth
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Key E1 rewritten 11/09/2026
