British Insects: the Genus Phyllonorycter (Lepidoptera-Gracillariidae)

L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz

Character List

#1. <Synonyms:>/

#2. Associated with <trees, shrubs or herbs>/

1. trees/

2. shrubs/

3. herbs/

#3. On <plant families>/

1. Aceraceae/

2. Betulaceae/

3. Caprifoliaceae/

4. Carpinaceae/

5. Corylaceae/

6. Dipsacaceae/

7. Ericaceae/

8. Fagaceae/

9. Leguminosae/

10. Platanaceae/

11. Rosaceae/

12. Salicaceae/

13. Ulmaceae/

14. Viburnaceae/

#4. On <plant genera and species; see Notes>/

1. Acer campestre/

2. Acer pseudoplatanus/

3. Betula spp./

4. Alnus/

5. Leycesteria/

6. Lonicera/

7. Symphoricarpos/

8. Carpinus/

9. Corylus/

10. Scabiosa columbaria/

11. Vaccinium/

12. Castanea sativa/

13. Fagus sylvatica/

14. native (deciduous) Quercus/

15. Quercus ilex (evergreen)/

16. Cytisus/

17. Genista/

18. Ononis/

19. Ulex/

20. Lathyrus/

21. Trifolium/

22. Vicia/

23. Platanus/

24. Crataegus/

25. Cydonia/

26. Malus/

27. Mespilus/

28. Prunus /

29. Pyracantha/

30. Sorbus/

31. Pyrus/

32. Salix /

33. Populus /

34. Ulmus/

35. Viburnum/

This character will usually be a reliable separator with which to commence an identification, because the species of Phyllonorycter exhibit taxonomically very restricted host-ranges. However, it seems likely that the available lists of occasional hosts will be incomplete, especially regarding close relatives of the plants listed. If an identification involving use of this character breaks down, therefore, use of the host families character (or even the plant habit character) should be substituted, before assuming that the specimen may represent a species not included in the descriptions.

Note that the host plant ranges of seven species rarely recorded in Britain or only recently detected, for which full descriptions have yet to be entered here, can be accessed via the toolbar ‘query’ button.

Larvae

#5. The larvae mining <locations>/

1. in leaves/

2. in shoots/

3. under bark/

#6. <Mines in leaves, whether in the upper- or under-sides>/

1. in the under-side <mesophyll>/

2. in the upper-side <palisade, if differentiated>/

#7. <Larvae> found in <months when larvae may be found>/

1. January/

2. February/

3. March/

4. April/

5. May/

6. June/

7. July/

8. August/

9. September/

10. October/

11. November/

12. December/

Adults

#8. Antennae <colour>/

1. white to the base/

2. coloured <specify>/

#9. Face <colour>/

1. white/

2. silvery/

3. grey/

4. coloured <specify>/

#10. Head <colour>/

1. white/

2. yellow/

3. orange/

4. ochreous/

5. brown/

6. fuscous/

7. black/

#11. Collar <colour>/

#12. Thorax <colour>/

1. white/

2. yellow/

3. orange/

4. ochreous/

5. brown/

6. fuscous/

#13. Thorax <whether with a median pale streak>/

1. with a conspicuous median pale streak/

2. without a <conspicuous> median pale streak <implicit>/

#14. Wing-span <centre thorax to wing apex, X 2>/

mm/

#15. Forewings <ground colour, white or otherwise, excluding any fasciae>/

1. clear shining white <at least in the basal half> with coloured markings/

2. not clear shining white/

#16. Forewings <ground colour, attempt at detailed breakdown>/

1. white/

2. whitish/

3. ochreous/

4. golden ochreous/

5. reddish ochreous/

6. fuscous orange/

7. ochreous orange/

8. golden orange/

9. brownish orange/

10. golden brown/

11. brassy brown/

12. brown/

13. fuscous/

#17. Forewings <whether suffused fuscous throughout>/

1. suffused throughout with fuscous/

2. not suffused throughout with fuscous <implicit>/

#18. Forewings <whether exhibiting a sharply defined londitudinal basal streak>/

1. with a well defined <median, longitudinal> basal streak/

2. without a basal streak/

#19. The basal streak <pale or fuscous>/

1. pale/

2. fuscous on the light background/

#20. The basal streak <shape>/

1. relatively long, slender and sinuate/

2. markedly bent/

3. <more or less> straight, neither markedly long and slender nor sinuate <implicit>/

#21. The basal streak <whether dark-edged above>/

1. dark-edged above/

2. not dark-edged above/

#22. Forewings <whether exhibiting pale, wedge-shaped strigulae>/

1. with well defined pale strigulae/

2. lacking well defined pale strigulae/

#23. <Pale> costal strigulae <number, coalescing with dorsal strigulae or not>/

#24. <Pale> costal strigulae <colour>/

1. white/

2. faintly pale yellow/

#25. <Pale> dorsal strigulae <number, coalescing with costal strigulae or not>/

#26. Forewings <whether first costal and first or second dorsal strigulae form an acute angle, regardless of whether they coalesce to form a fascia>/

1. with the first costal strigula approaching a dorsal one at an acute angle/

2. with the first costal strigula not forming an acute angle with a dorsal one/

#27. Forewings <presence and number of transverse pale fasciae representing confluence of opposing costal and dorsal strigulae>/

1. with one <complete> transverse pale fascia/

2. with two <complete> transverse pale fasciae/

3. with three <complete> transverse pale fasciae/

4. without <complete> transverse pale fasciae <none of the dorsal and costal strigulae, when present, confluent into continuous bands>/

#28. The <pale> fascia <when only one present, whether angulated>/

1. angulated/

2. only slightly bent/

#29. The last fascia <of the white wing, whether angulated>/

1. angulated/

2. straight/

#30. The antemedian fascia <of the white wing, whether bluntly or acutely angulated>/

1. bluntly angulated/

2. acutely angulated/

#31. Hindwing cilia <colour>/

1. white/

2. fuscous/

#32. Posterior tarsi <spotting>/

1. with dark spots/

2. whitish, without dark spots/

General comments

#33. Adults abroad <months when living adults may be found>/

1. January/

2. February/

3. March/

4. April/

5. May/

6. June/

7. July/

8. August/

9. September/

10. October/

11. November/

12. December/

Miscellaneous

#36. <Illustrations>/