BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 6: 1993 



THE BRITISH SPECIES OE CARYOCOLUM GREGOR & POVOLN1 



P. HUEMER 



Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Museumstr. 15, A-6020, Innsbruck. Austria 



The Gelechiid genus Caryocolum comprises nearly 70 species mainly distributed 

 in the Palaearctic region with a few taxa in the Nearctic. Although the British fauna 

 includes only 12 species, they have often been confused and misidentified in the past. 

 Usually it is possible to distinguish the species by the wing pattern and colour, as 

 well as the colour of head and thorax. Difficulties in determination arise because 

 of the extraordinary variation of individual specimens. In many cases it is therefore 

 essential to examine the genitalia for reliable results. The genitalia structures of the 

 British Caryocolum are easily distinguishable by many characters except alsinella and 

 viscariella. They were figured by Pierce and Metcalfe (1935) who used the standard 

 method of genitalia preparation and arrangement. A technique similar to that recently 

 described by Pitkin (1986) was used for the present study. This explains the difference 

 in the appearance from the figures of Pierce & Metcalfe (1935). 



Male and female genitalia of all the British species of Caryocolum are figured in 

 this paper, although the aedeagi and signa are not shown. 



Caryocolum species are univoltine and their larvae feed on various genera of 

 Caryophyllaceae, for example Cerastium, Stellaria, and Silene. In Britain the life 

 history of only one species (junctella) is not yet sufficiently known. Caterpillars are 

 usually found in the spring, early instar larvae sometimes from December onwards. 

 Moths are on the wing from late May into September, one species (Junctella) hibernates 

 as an adult. 



Key to the British species of Caryocolum (based mainly on genitalia) 



Males 



1 Sacculus almost completely reduced fraiernella 



— Sacculus well developed 2 



2 Saccus slender to moderately broad 3 



— Saccus extremely broad 11 



3 Posterior margin of vinculum with medial and lateromedial incision; valva without 

 apical brush of setae; aedeagus with minute cornuti 4 



— Posterior margin of vinculum with medial incision; valva with apical brush of 

 setae; aedeagus without cornuti 7 



4 Sacculus broad rhomboidal, longer than valva; vinculum narrow . . marmoreum 

 — Sacculus not broad rhomboidal, shorter than valva; vinculum broad 5 



5 Sacculus long vicinella 



— Sacculus short 6 



6 Forewing 4.0-5.0 mm alsinella 



-Forewing 5.5-6.5 mm viscariella 



7 Saccus slender 8 



— Saccus with broad base 9 



Sacculus with hook-shaped apex junctella 



— Sacculus without hook-shaped apex tricolorella 



9 Valva short, without apical bulge blandulella 



— Valva long, with apical bulge 10 



