I understand that even with very good photos of antennal features, that the similar greeny-bronze case bearer moths still need to be genitally determined to ascertain species. Are such specimens, with good photo but no gen det. simply to be recorded as Coleophora in iRecord, or is there a way of further narrowing down, as we do with Marbled Minor agg?
Hello Keith,
ReplyDeleteWith great care, three of the half dozen metallic green Coleophora species can usually be identified on sight as adults if they're fresh and undamaged, mainly using antennal features, and there's a handy table in the second edition of the Micro-moth Field Guide explaining what to look for (Appendix 1, page 484). If you have a decent image like your example here, then it is probably still worth an iRecord entry as "Coleophora" so that there is a permanent record, but there is currently no way of refining that down further to the specific group. Different people have different views about the use of aggregates and personally I'm not in favour of them, especially when it comes to micros.
Thanks Dave, I didn't realise there was a second edition. Mine's only got 416 pages!
DeleteThere is also an online key to Coleophora from Chris Lewis at https://britishcoleophora.weebly.com/ametallic.html (includes info both on external markings and on where dissection is needed)
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