It looks like kaekeritziana from the outside, which would make it a good record I believe. I can't see a black shoulder marking so this rules out bipunctosa? and I don't think it is pallorella because of the general colour.
I am only just beginning to do genitalia again so it would be useful to get some directional pointers before I start on a moth this size.
It certainly looks an interesting one, and not immediately familiar. Most members of this group aren't too hard to separate on dissection, hopefully it will be a male.
ReplyDeletePersonally I find large micros easier to dissect than macros, as there is less in the way of scales and tufts of hairs to get in the way of the vital bits.
A male it was. It looks like kaekeritziana to me.
DeleteI've not seen an Agonopterix with these markings, looks like the image of kaekeritziana in Chris Manley's book but I guess appearance may not be conclusive. I know that you want to minimise microscope work but are you familiar with the Veho USB Digital Microscope? I saw one demonstrated recently and it was quite impressive, could have a use in dissection.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris, I shall goggle that later today. I am using my old long arm Wessex. Half of my time at the moment is trying to familiarise myself with what I am actually looking at !
DeleteI did 5 common rustic agg and they were all common rustic.
My 'Large Ear' was a female and I think I fluffed the dissection. I will look at it again later but my feeling is that it is a large 'Ear' despite the underside marking. Kaekeritziana looks to be correct.
For what it`s worth it does certainly look like kaekeritziana to me but it would be best to retain the moth (tube it in the freezer with date etc). The food-plant (knapweed) is not uncommon on our remaining unimproved meadows.
ReplyDeleteBlack knapweed grows in the grass in the lower part of my garden.
ReplyDeleteA. kaekeritziana is an excellent record. I shall be scrutinising Agonopterixes even more carefully than usual from now on. There's knapweed just outside our front gate but it's close to the road, vehicles whiz by so it's not a very healthy environment.
ReplyDelete