Parornix |
Distinct from all other Gracillariidae by the combination of rough-haired head, hindtibia without bristles, midtibia thickened with projecting scales and scape with a pecten. Less distinctly marked than most Gracillariids and the 10 British species are very similar to each other.
P.betulae/anglicella/devoniella/scoticella/torquilella can be found throughout GB. P.loganella is found in Scotland and N.England; P.fagivora is mostly confined to S.England; P.finitimella is found in South and Central England and South Wales; P.carpinella is not listed in MBGBI2 but occurs in SE.England and P.alpicola is very local on the North coast of Scotland (and is not considered further here).
Most are bivoltine flying May and August; P.torquilella flies May-Jul and Scottish populations are usually univoltine May-Jun.
P.betulae/anglicella/devoniella/scoticella/torquilella can be found throughout GB. P.loganella is found in Scotland and N.England; P.fagivora is mostly confined to S.England; P.finitimella is found in South and Central England and South Wales; P.carpinella is not listed in MBGBI2 but occurs in SE.England and P.alpicola is very local on the North coast of Scotland (and is not considered further here).
Most are bivoltine flying May and August; P.torquilella flies May-Jul and Scottish populations are usually univoltine May-Jun.
P.loganella (left) has a dark blackish-fuscous forewing with strongly contrasting dorsal white markings. It is the only Parornix species that can usually be confidently identified on external features. Other species are greyish-fuscous or brownish-fuscous mixed whitish with a series of whitish costal strigulae - as in the image on the right (P.anglicella).
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Male genitalia
P.betulae/anglicella/devoniella/scoticella/finitimella/torquilella are illustrated in MBGBI2 pp281 & 287.
All except P.alpicola are shown at Moth Dissection. P.alpicola will not be considered further for the time being.
P.betulae/anglicella/devoniella/scoticella/finitimella/torquilella are illustrated in MBGBI2 pp281 & 287.
All except P.alpicola are shown at Moth Dissection. P.alpicola will not be considered further for the time being.
The male genitalia of P.torquillella are distinct from other Parornix species in having a more elongate valva gradually expanding in width from base to apex and with a short but distinct process towards the distal end of the saccular margin. In other Parornix species the valva has a narrow base and then a rapid expansion into a rounded apex, and all except P.finitimella lack a marginal process. P.torquilella also lacks the juxta lobes seen in all other species and its aedeagus has a strong paramere, not seen in any other species.
All these differences fully justify its placement in a separate genus (Deltaornix) and cast considerable doubt on the validity of amalgamating it with Parornix (in my opinion) |
Key to male genitalia of the remaining 7 species
A: Small spur on valva; juxta lobes with a long narrow apical portion > P.finitimella
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B: Sclerotised portion of ductus ejaculatorius extending basally from the aedeagus
B1: Sclerotised portion of ductus ejaculatorius ~ 1.5x length of aedeagus; juxta lobes narrow distal to basal ⅓ > P.scoticella
B2: Sclerotised portion of ductus ejaculatorius ~ 1.1x length of aedeagus; juxta lobes broad with an apical hook > P.carpinella
B3: Sclerotised portion of ductus ejaculatorius shorter than aedeagus; juxta lobes short > P.anglicella
B2: Sclerotised portion of ductus ejaculatorius ~ 1.1x length of aedeagus; juxta lobes broad with an apical hook > P.carpinella
B3: Sclerotised portion of ductus ejaculatorius shorter than aedeagus; juxta lobes short > P.anglicella
C: Saccus longer than wide and blob-ended
C1: Juxta lobes globular in basal ½, abruptly narrowed in apical ½; midline linear projection from posterior margin of saccus; apex of aedeagus finely dentate > P.devoniella
C2: Juxta lobes gradually tapered (aedeagus may have a filamentous apex but this is variable) > P.betulae
C1: Juxta lobes globular in basal ½, abruptly narrowed in apical ½; midline linear projection from posterior margin of saccus; apex of aedeagus finely dentate > P.devoniella
C2: Juxta lobes gradually tapered (aedeagus may have a filamentous apex but this is variable) > P.betulae
D: Not as above
D1: Saccus broad; juxta lobes broad, narrowing to a curved process in apical ¼ > P.fagivora
(No material. Some images at Moth Dissection show a short sclerotised section of ductus ejaculatorius)
D2: Saccus broad; juxta lobes?; aedeagus with an apical hook > P.loganella
D1: Saccus broad; juxta lobes broad, narrowing to a curved process in apical ¼ > P.fagivora
(No material. Some images at Moth Dissection show a short sclerotised section of ductus ejaculatorius)
D2: Saccus broad; juxta lobes?; aedeagus with an apical hook > P.loganella
Female genitalia
5 species can be distinguished on features of the ostium
In the remaining 4 species the ostium is small and without significant sclerotisation A: Ostium small and close to the posterior margin of A8; ductus bursae short (~ ½CB); posterior apophyses long > P.torquillella B: Ostium with a small well-sclerotised process projecting posteriorly from its ventral lip; antrum sclerotised; anterior apophyses long > P.devoniella C: Ostium very large with well-sclerotised anterior and lateral margins; antrum well-sclerotised > P.fagivora D: Ostium/antrum with a well-sclerotised ventral surface with a concave posterior edge; posterior margin of A8 well-sclerotised > P.loganella E: Ostium/antrum with a sclerotised ventral surface with a ~ straight posterior edge; posterior margin of A8 not well-sclerotised > P.anglicella |
F: Signa elongate; base of anal papillae with a rounded ventral projection > P.betulae
G: Ductus bursae coarsely stippled posteriorly, broadening anteriorly to merge into corpus bursae > P.carpinella (no material)
The remaining two species both have a long ductus bursae (1.5-2x CB), with a distinct ductus-corpus junction and a pair of rounded signa.
H: A8 with a broad margin anterior to the ostium; anterior apophyses ~as long as A8 > P.scoticella *
I: A8 with a narrow margin anterior to the ostium; anterior apophyses clearly shorter than A8 > P.finitimella * (no material)
* In P.scoticella the margin is about as deep as or slightly deeper than the ostium; in P.finitimella it is clearly narrower than the ostium.
Some images of P.finitimella show a pair of keels extending anteriorly from the posterior edge of A8 - if confirmed this would be an additional distinctive feature.
G: Ductus bursae coarsely stippled posteriorly, broadening anteriorly to merge into corpus bursae > P.carpinella (no material)
The remaining two species both have a long ductus bursae (1.5-2x CB), with a distinct ductus-corpus junction and a pair of rounded signa.
H: A8 with a broad margin anterior to the ostium; anterior apophyses ~as long as A8 > P.scoticella *
I: A8 with a narrow margin anterior to the ostium; anterior apophyses clearly shorter than A8 > P.finitimella * (no material)
* In P.scoticella the margin is about as deep as or slightly deeper than the ostium; in P.finitimella it is clearly narrower than the ostium.
Some images of P.finitimella show a pair of keels extending anteriorly from the posterior edge of A8 - if confirmed this would be an additional distinctive feature.
Updated 23/05/2016 to reidentify the female image of P.carpinella as P.fagivora and amend text accordingly | Text amended 27/01/2020 |
Text amended 04/08/2021 | page fully revised 07/12/2024
Text amended 04/08/2021 | page fully revised 07/12/2024