General features of the adults of Family: Coleophoridae
Head: smooth-scaled; antenna ~¾ length of forewing; ocelli absent; maxillary palps absent; labial palps slender, porrect; proboscis short (longer in C.limoniella), scaled at base.
Wings: lanceolate, without a distinct termen or tornus; hindwing membrane narrower than forewing membrane; forewing cilia longest at mid-dorsum, where the cilia are slightly longer than the width of the membrane, shortening abruptly proximally and more gradually around the apex; hindwing cilia long all around wing margin except at the costal base, longest towards the dorsal base where they are 2-3x the width of the hindwing membrane - such that when the ciliary fringes are included the hindwing as a whole is broader than the forewing.
Legs: Hindtibia hairy (except in C.limoniella) with 2 pairs of spurs, midtibia with 1 (apical) pair of spurs
Abdomen: The dorsal plates of segments A2-6 (sometimes A1 and/or A7) have paired patches of short thorny spines, which are exposed in nearly all species, (but covered by scales in C.lutarea and A.aeratella).
Resting posture: horizontal with wings involute (wrapped around the body) and antennae porrect (except in Augasma aeratella), diverging.
Wings: lanceolate, without a distinct termen or tornus; hindwing membrane narrower than forewing membrane; forewing cilia longest at mid-dorsum, where the cilia are slightly longer than the width of the membrane, shortening abruptly proximally and more gradually around the apex; hindwing cilia long all around wing margin except at the costal base, longest towards the dorsal base where they are 2-3x the width of the hindwing membrane - such that when the ciliary fringes are included the hindwing as a whole is broader than the forewing.
Legs: Hindtibia hairy (except in C.limoniella) with 2 pairs of spurs, midtibia with 1 (apical) pair of spurs
Abdomen: The dorsal plates of segments A2-6 (sometimes A1 and/or A7) have paired patches of short thorny spines, which are exposed in nearly all species, (but covered by scales in C.lutarea and A.aeratella).
Resting posture: horizontal with wings involute (wrapped around the body) and antennae porrect (except in Augasma aeratella), diverging.
External features which may be helpful in differentiating species:
Size: wingspan range is from 6 to 22mm
Antenna: the flagellum is generally simple, but in some species the basal segments are thickened with a covering of projecting scales and the scape may or may not be tufted. The most commonly seen pattern for the flagellum is alternating whitish and dark - in this arrangement the basal portion of each segment has a row of dark scales and the apical portion a row of whitish scales. The dark scales may form a complete ring, an incomplete ring or a bar or spot on one side of the antenna. Variations in antennal pattern occurring between different species include: completely whitish, completely dark, dark with a whitish apical portion, banded or barred in basal portion but all whitish towards apex. There is some intraspecific variation in some species and some sexual dimorphism - especially in the extent of any clothing of the basal segments with erect scales.
Labial palps: segment 2 is usually simple but is tufted in some species.
Eye fringe: Coleophora species have a distinct fringe of long narrow scales at the ventral margin of the compound eye - the colour of these scales is distinctive for some of the metallic species
Wing pattern: C.limoniella is distinctive. The remaining species are keyed from the following groupings: A) metallic, B) white with fuscous scales, C) plain, D) plain with a pale costa, E) obscurely streaked with a pale costa, F) with longitudinal streaks only G) with longitudinal and oblique streaks and H) with longitudinal and oblique streaks and fuscous scales. A diffuse discal stigma is present in 37.039 C.hemerobiella. Two or three diffuse stigmata are present in 37.107 C.clyperiferella and 37.108 C.salicorniae.
Size: wingspan range is from 6 to 22mm
Antenna: the flagellum is generally simple, but in some species the basal segments are thickened with a covering of projecting scales and the scape may or may not be tufted. The most commonly seen pattern for the flagellum is alternating whitish and dark - in this arrangement the basal portion of each segment has a row of dark scales and the apical portion a row of whitish scales. The dark scales may form a complete ring, an incomplete ring or a bar or spot on one side of the antenna. Variations in antennal pattern occurring between different species include: completely whitish, completely dark, dark with a whitish apical portion, banded or barred in basal portion but all whitish towards apex. There is some intraspecific variation in some species and some sexual dimorphism - especially in the extent of any clothing of the basal segments with erect scales.
Labial palps: segment 2 is usually simple but is tufted in some species.
Eye fringe: Coleophora species have a distinct fringe of long narrow scales at the ventral margin of the compound eye - the colour of these scales is distinctive for some of the metallic species
Wing pattern: C.limoniella is distinctive. The remaining species are keyed from the following groupings: A) metallic, B) white with fuscous scales, C) plain, D) plain with a pale costa, E) obscurely streaked with a pale costa, F) with longitudinal streaks only G) with longitudinal and oblique streaks and H) with longitudinal and oblique streaks and fuscous scales. A diffuse discal stigma is present in 37.039 C.hemerobiella. Two or three diffuse stigmata are present in 37.107 C.clyperiferella and 37.108 C.salicorniae.
Biological features which may be helpful in differentiating species:
Distribution - some species are common and widespread, but others have a very restricted range
Flight season - most fly Jun-Jul
Flight time - most fly in the evening, some are diurnal and fly in sunshine, others fly only at night
Association with food plant - some species are best obtained by sweeping the foodplant
Tendency to come to light - while many species come readily to light (including most diurnal species) some species rarely do so.
Distribution - some species are common and widespread, but others have a very restricted range
Flight season - most fly Jun-Jul
Flight time - most fly in the evening, some are diurnal and fly in sunshine, others fly only at night
Association with food plant - some species are best obtained by sweeping the foodplant
Tendency to come to light - while many species come readily to light (including most diurnal species) some species rarely do so.
Sexual dimorphism
External features that are sexually dimorphic in a few species are general colour (especially in Group C) and the extent of any thickening of the base of the antenna with scales - greater extent in the female.
External features that are sexually dimorphic in a few species are general colour (especially in Group C) and the extent of any thickening of the base of the antenna with scales - greater extent in the female.