Sunday 26 June 2016

A few more micro questions


Is the first one just a diamond-back moth? It was certainly about the right size - perhaps a little bigger.
Is the second a Coleophora and if so is it possible to identify the species? About 6-7mm in length.
I  assume the third is either Nematopogon schwarziellus or N.  metaxella?
For number 4 I think I have been identifying too many of the Scoparia and Eudonia moths that I have caught as S. ambigualis. This one certainly looks a bit different.













Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Andy, the first is indeed Plutella xylostella. The second is a Coleophorid but would need dissection to get to species. I think the antennae on the third are sufficiently long for it to be safely ID'd as Nematopogon metaxella, while the fourth is Eudonia (Dipleurina) lacustrata.

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  2. Andy, the trick with lacustrata is to stand back a bit, rather than microscopic examination, and see the space in between the two circles (well, more or less circles)on the forewings. They are one of the few Scopariids that can be easily recognised, they're common and they're out now.

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  3. Thank you for the tip. I think sometimes there is a danger in looking too closely and missing the obvious.

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