Insects of Britain and Ireland: Lepidoptera
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Epermeniidae
Chauliodidae
Adults relatively long-bodied; medium built (wingspan more than 8 and less than 15 times the thoracic width); wings in repose packed with the forewings directed backwards to cover hindwings and abdomen.
Head smooth. Antennae of medium length to long; extending to about 0.6–0.8 times the length of the forewing; not clubbed. Antennae of males simple; evenly simply-ciliate. The antennal scape with a pecten; not forming an ‘eye cap’. Ocelli absent. Chaetosemata absent. Maxillary palps well developed; 3 segmented; folded. Labial palps well developed; porrect, or ascending (recurved). Proboscis fully developed; not scaly.
Wingspan 8–14 mm; 11–15 times the thoracic width. Forewings narrow; about 3–4.5 times as long as wide. Tornus undetectable. Forewings predominantly shining-metallic (bronzy), or neither shining-metallic nor with shining metallic markings (mostly); ground colour predominantly light brown, or dark brown, or orange-brown, or grey (commonly dark fuscous).Hindwings narrow-elongate and very long-fringed; lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate; quite markedly narrower than the forewings. Hindwing width about 0.6 times that of the forewings. Hindwings with a pointed apex. The fringe of the hindwings (1–)1.5–4 times the width of the membrane. The upper surfaces plain; with neither discal spot nor transverse lines; hindwings with a frenulum.
Neuration of forewings and hindwings dissimilar. Forewings 13 veined; with 2 anal veins. The anal veins of the forewings comprising 1b and 1c. Forewings exhibiting a tubular vein 1c (distally). Vein 1b of the forewings furcate proximally. The transverse vein complete, or incomplete. Forewings with an accessory cell (or at least indicated), or without an accessory cell. Hindwings 7–10 veined; with 3 anal veins, or lacking anal veins. The anal veins of the hindwings when present, comprising 1a, 1b and 1c. Hindwings exhibiting vein 1a, or lacking vein 1a; exhibiting a tubular vein 1c, or lacking a tubular vein 1c. Vein 1b of the hindwings simple. The transverse vein complete, or incomplete. 6 veins arising from the hindwing cell. The cell-derived hindwing veins all arising independently of one another, or 6+7 proximally joined (then these connate or stalked). Vein 8 of the hindwings completely independent of the cell; not approximating to vein 7.
Fore-legs with a tibial epiphysis. Tibiae of middle legs 2-spurred. Posterior tibiae 4-spurred; not hairy (but these and tarsi with generally distributed, stiff bristles).
Eggs, larvae and pupae. Larval prolegs 10. Larvae concealed feeders (when young), or exposed feeders (later); feeding in communal tents (when older), or not feeding in communal tents; not subterranean; leaf-mining (at first), or not leaf-mining (later feeding in a slight web). Nearly all the British species on Umbelliferae.
Pupae exposed, with no coccoon to concealed (in an open network cocoon). Empty pupae not becoming protruded (being unusual in this respect).
British representation. Genera 2; 8 species. Epermenia chaerophyllella, Phaulernis dentella, etc.
Classification. Microlepidoptera. Suborder Ditrysia. Superfamily Epermenioidea.
Illustrations. • Epermenia aequidentellus (as daucellus), E. falciformis (as illigerellus), and (mainland-European) Ochromolopis staintonellus: Stainton 12, III (1870). EPERMENIIDAE. 1, Epermenia aequidentellus. Larva (1a), and a carrot leaf discoloured by it (1b). 2,Ochromolopis staintonellus. Larva (2a); sprigs of _Osyris alba_attacked by it (2b, 2b*); and pupa (2c). 3, Epermenia falciformis. Larva (3a), and leaf of Aegopodium podagraria twisted by it (3b). Stainton 12, III (1870). • Stainton 12, III (1870): original legend.. • Ochromolopis ictella (mainland-European): Stainton 12, IV (1870). EPERMENIIDAE. 3, Ochromolopsis ictella. Larva (3a), and a shoot of Thesium montanum drawn together by it (3b). Stainton 12, IV (1870). • Stainton 12, IV (1870): original legend.. • Epermenia chaerophyllella: Stephens IV, 1834. • Epermenia chaerophyllella: Le Cerf & Herbulot. • Epermenia and Phaulernis: details (Stainton). 2a-2c, Phaulernis dentella: fore- and hind-wings, and head. 7a-c, Epermenia chaerophyllellus: fore- and hind-wings, and head. 7'a,Epermenia insecurella, fore-wing. From Stainton (1854, Plates VI and VII). • Larvae of 'Tineina' (Stainton). 1, OECOPHORIDAE: Diurnea fagella larva, and (1a) shown between united birch leaves. 2, PSYCHIDIDAE: Taleporia(?) larva, showing cases attached to lichen (2a), and a single case enlarged. 3, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Ochsenheimeria taurella, and (3a) a section of grass stem showing the larva in situ. 4, TINEIDAE: Tineola bisselliella, with a gallery formed in feathers (4a); 4b, a case of Tinea pellionella on a feather. 5, INCURVARIIDAE: Incurvaria praelatella, with a partially devoured wild strawberry leaf (5a), and a case from the underside. 6, Incurvaria pectinea, and (6a) the larva in its case feeding on a fallen oak leaf. 7, Lampronia capitella, with (7a) a currant shoot withering from the effects of the larva feeding in the stem. 8, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Swammerdamia pyrella, with (8a) the larva in its web between united cherry leaves. 9, Yponomeutidae-Plutellinae: Plutella porrectella, and (9a) feeding on a Hesperis leaf. 10, GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE: Orthotelia sparganella, with (10a) an eaten stem of Sparganium. 11. OECOPHORIDAE: Depressaria sp., with (11a) a leaf of Centaurea nigra distorted by its attentions. 12, GELECHIIDAE: Anacampsis temerella, with (12a) a sallow leaf tenanted by it. 13, Metzneria aestivella, with (13a) a sectioned fruiting head of Carlina showing the feeding larva in situ. 14, OECOPHORIDAE: Crassa unitella, and (14a) a piece of decayed wood burrowed by the larvae. 15, GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE: Glyphipteryx equitella, with (15a) shoots of Sedum acre showing the middle one bleached by excavations of the larva. 16, YPONOMEUTIDAE: Argyresthia bonnetella, with (16a) hawthorn shoots eaten by the larva. 17, GRACILLARIIDAE: Caloptilia alchimiella, with (17a) an oak lead exhibiting a cone formed by the larva. 18, OECOPHORIDAE: Agonopterix angelicella, with (18a) its cone on a hawthorn leaf. 19, COLEOPHORIDAE: Coleophora follicularis, with (19a) a mined leaf of Eupatorium, and (19b) the case enlarged. 20, LYONETIIDAE: Bedellia somnulentella, with (20a) a mined Convolvulus arvensis leaf. 21, EPERMENIIDAE: Epermenia chaerophyllellus, with (21a) a portion of Anthriscus sylvestris leaf eaten half through by it. 22, MOMPHIDAE: Chrysoclista linneella, with (22a) a piece of inner bark of lime burrowed by it. 23, ELACHISTIDAE: Elachista maculicerusella. with (23a) a mined Phragmites leaf blade. 24, TISCHERIIDAE: Emmetia marginea, and (24a) a mined bramble leaf. 25, GRACILLARIIDAE: Phyllonorycter quinnata, with (25a) a mined Carpinus leaf. 26, LYONETIIDAE: Leucoptera laburnella, with (26a) a mined Laburnum leaf. 27, Bucculatrix bechsteinella (Bucculatricidae), and a hawthorn leaf eaten half through. 28, NEPTICULIDAE: Nepticula sp., with (28a) a mined Potentilla leaf. From Stainton (1854, Plate X). • Epermenia chaerophyllella, neuration.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the families of Lepidoptera. Version: 14th April 2022. delta-intkey.com’.