Lithocolletinae

Subfamily: LITHOCOLLETINAE (2G 56S)

Scape without eyecap
Foreleg and midleg only slightly thickened with scales
Phyllonorycter (55S) Vertex with tuft of erect sacles, hindtibia without bristles, frons with appressed scales; scape with pecten
Cameraria (1S) Vertex with a tuft of erect scales, hindtibia with bristles

Provisional Key to Phyllonorycter
This key is largely based on the forewing strigulae/fasciae. These are coded C for costal, D for dorsal and numbered from base to apex - C1 indicates the most basal costal strigula, 4C3D indicates that there 4 costal and 3 dorsal strigulae. Where a pair of strigulae unite to form a complete transverse fascia this is indicated by eg C1D1. Such a fascia may be fairly straight or angled to various degrees.
The key divides the genus into 4 groups:

Forewing with sufficient white or light grey colour that the strigulae appear as dark markings on a pale background			A
Forewing markings appear white on a coloured background	C1D1 forming a complete transverse fascia		B
	C1D1 not forming a complete transverse fascia	thorax with a lighter median line	C
		thorax without a lighter median line	D

Group A. Forewing with sufficient white or light grey that the strigulae appear as dark markings on a pale background.

Broad tan fascia in the basal half of forewing, other markings crowded at apex			P.roboris
Basal streak present, black edged			P.heegeriella
White parts of fw sprinkled with dark scales			P.comparella, P.sagitella
C1D1 meet to form an acute angled fascia	C1D1 broad enough that anterior and posterior dark edges are distinct		P.geniculella
	C1D1 very narrow represented by just the dark edge	3C	P.harrisella
		4C	P.tenerella
C1D1 meet to form an obtuse angled fascia*	5C3D		P.kuhlweiniella
	3C3D all forming fasciae, C1D1 distinct, C2D2 obtuse-angled & connected to C3D3		P.acerifoliella
	4C2(3)D C2D2 forming an acute-angled fascia, C3&4 much less distinct		P.platanoidella

*All remaining species in Group A have some dark markings anterior to the first distinct fascia, these are ignored.

B. Forewing markings appear white on a coloured background, C1D1 forming a complete transverse fascia.
   C2D2 forming a complete transverse fascia (basal streak absent, short or indistinct in all except P.emberizaepennella)
   Thorax metallic silvery or leaden P.schreberella
   Black proximal border to C1D1 and C2D2 broader than the white fascia P.trifasciella
   No dark line at base of apical cilia
   Basal streak almost reaching C1D1, narrow dark ant. edges to white markings P.emberizaepenella
   Basal streak short/indistinct, broad dark ant. edges to white markings
   Apical 8-12 antennal segments white P.tristrigella
   Antenna banded fuscous to apex P.scabiosella
   C3D3 meet to form an angled fascia
   4(5)C4D (D4 beyond tornus) P.nicellii
   4C3D (thorax metallic golden) P.froelichii
   C3 & D3 separate
   Black anterior borders of fasciae distinct against orange ground colour, vertex orange-brown P.kleemannella
   Black ant. borders of fasciae indistinct against dark brown ground colour, vertex blackish P.stettinensis
   C2D2 not forming a complete transverse fascia, basal streak distinct, dorsal patch usually present
   C1D1 forming an acutely angled fascia P.scopariella
   3C2(3)D ws<6.5mm P.anderidae
   4C3D white markings edged black on ant and post edges P.nigrescentella
   white markings edged black on ant edges only
   post. edge of tegulae white, thorax usually with fine white central line P.salicicolella (^)
   thorax with strong median white line P.cavella
thorax with white anterior edge and sides but no white median line   P.hilarella
   no white in thorax P.ulmifoliella
   4C4D P.insignitella

C. Forewing markings appear white on a coloured background, C1D1 not forming a complete transverse fascia,
thorax with lighter median line
   Thoracic median line yellow/gold (white in all other species) P.salictella
   1C1D   P.corylifoliella
   4C2D P.distentella
   The rest of this group all appear to be 4C3D, or it is not easy to establish that they are not 4C3D
   Apex of C1 clearly distal to apex of D1*, base of wing with costal, central and dorsal white streaks P.quinqueguttella
   Strigulae and basal streak without black edging
   angle between C1&D1 acute P.scopariella
   angle between C1&D1 obtuse ws4.5-6.0 (Cornwall only, pale areas ochreus tinged) P.staintonella
   ws6-7 P.ulicicolella
   Angle between anterior borders of C1 & D1 90 deg or more
   basal streak with black edging P.lantanella
   basal streak without black edging P.salicicolella (^)
   Angle between anterior borders of C1 and D1 acute
   forewing ground colour orange
   apical streak short (just past C4) basal streak extending to proximal margin of D1 P.maestingella
basal streak extending to halfway along D1 P.esperella
   apical streak long and broad/diffuse (to C2) P.dubitella
   forewing ground colour brown antenna white, lightly marked fuscous in outer 2/3 P.coryli
   antenna whitish grey, marked fuscous, apical seg dark P.cerasicolella, P.spinicolella §

D. Forewing markings appear white on a coloured background, C1D1 not forming a complete transverse fascia,
thorax without lighter median line
   Thorax and entire basal part of wing white P.tenerella (P.rajella)
   No basal streak P.muelleriella
   Long basal streak- reaching past apex of C1 P.quercifoliella
   Short basal streak - not reaching dorsal origin of D1 P.lautella
   C2D2 and C3D3 forming complete transverse fasciae P.platani
   Apex of C1 clearly distal to apex of D1 basal streak broad, fw ground colour dark brown P.rajella
   basal streak narrow P.strigulatella
   Apex of C1 opposite, or proximal to apex of D1
     Basal streak not edged in black, strigulae not edged in black
   C1-D1angle acute P.scopariella
   C1-D1 angle 90deg, strong dorsal patch P.viminetorum**
   C1-D1 angle obtuse ws4.5-6.0 P.staintonella
   ws6-7 P.ulicicolella
   Basal streak weakly edged on costal side only, strigulae strongly edged P.junoniella
   strigulae weakly edged P.leucographella
   Basal streak and strigulae edged black
   D1 & D2 much narrower than the space between them P.messaniella
   D1&D2 nearly as broad as the space between them
   apical streak short (reaching D3) P.lantanella
   apical streak extensive P.hostis, P.sorbi, P.oxyacanthae, P.blancardella, P.mespilella §§

§ These two cannot be separated without genital examination.Males: cerasicolella - valva with subapical spine surrounded by short stiff bristles and situated on a flat part of the valva.
   spinicolella - valval with subapical spine not surrounded by bristles and situated on a concave part of the valva.

§§ P.hostis and P.sorbi have ws >8mm; P.oxyacanthae, P.blancardella and P.mespilella ws <=8mm but these 5 best distinguished by genital examination.
In males this depends on identifying the costae of the valvae. These are asymmetric, the right being longer than the left, and have spines at their apex.
In considering relative lengths of the costa measurements are taken from drawings in MBGBI2 and are measured from base of costa to base of its spine.
P.sorbi has the R costa only slightly longer than the L (1.1-1.2x).
P.oxyacanthae has the R costa much longer than the L (2.5x) and a strongly hooked spine.
P.hostis has the R costa much longer than the L (2x) and a short curved/hooked spine (spine ~1/4 length of costa).P.mespilella has a stout R costa with a long apical spine (spine ~1/2 length of costa) and a very short L costa with a long spine (spine 2x length of costa).P.blancardella has a narrow R costa with a long apical spine (spine 2/5 length of costa) and a very short L costa with a long spine (spine 2x length of costa).

* MBGBI2 states that P.quinqueguttella is 5C3D and that D1 ends between C1 and C2, the plate (13:11) draws 4C3D with apex of C1distal to D1(less clearly so on the right wing) - this pattern, 4C3D, is also seen in images at UKMoths.** antenna with subterminal 9-10 segments white, terminal segment black