Barkfly

Bruce Williams · #1 (**permalink**) 06-10-2009, 11:32 PM

Northants garden - on hawthorn.

I'm not particularly good at keying insects however....

.....I think this might be Ectopsocus petersi which is pretty common (so perhaps more likely?). Whatever species it is I think it's quite a handsome insect and it's colouring and markings remind me of a type of boiled sweet that I used to like as a kid. If it'd been a bit bigger I might have been tempted to pop it into my......

Thought it safer to seek confirmation before posting to the Gallery.

Bruce

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 06-10-2009, 11:45 PM

Evening Bruce,

There are actually two at least that are very similar. Here, due to the lighter colouration I may go for E. briggsi. A stunning shot as per.

Take care,

Jason

JRsbugs · #3 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 12:04 AM

I'm far from an expert on these, lol, I have a lot of pics of both adults and nymphs and they do vary in darkness. Not sure if it's age which gives a deeper colour, could be but I think I have both.

I got pics today of two which look to be both females under the same Camellia leaf, one has a smaller, paler abdomen but full size wings so they're probably just maturing. They look like yours Bruce.

I would go with Ectopsocus petersi, it looks to have dark areas on the wing vein ends at the wing tip as well. The examples I'm seeing of E. briggsi don't have those dark patches on the wing tip.

Janet

Acutipuerilis · #4 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 07:32 AM

I'd definitely go for E. briggsi here - the dark spots at the vein apices are small and rather like equilateral triangles, rather than being extended along the veins. It also appears to be much more common than petersi (or meridionalis, which may well be in the UK as well). All according to the very nice New RES Handbook.

JRsbugs · #5 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acutipuerilis

I'd definitely go for E. briggsi here - the dark spots at the vein apices are small and rather like equilateral triangles, rather than being extended along the veins. It also appears to be much more common than petersi (or meridionalis, which may well be in the UK as well). All according to the very nice New RES Handbook.

Ah, nice to know what the real difference is, lol! I checked one I have name Ectopsocus briggsi and it does have those small triangles, haven't got around to doing the rest yet but now I know what to look for.