Case moths

diggleken · #1 (**permalink**) 04-10-2009, 10:00 PM

Hi all,
anyone know any good sites for case moth ID 's? (bag moths) from europe?
Saw nice ones in greece,but thought I'd ask here first rather than sister site and try and do it myself as far as I can before crying for help with my pics.
Cheers
Ken

JRsbugs · #2 (**permalink**) 04-10-2009, 10:16 PM

Hi Ken,

this is a good site, not Greek but it might help. Lots of thumbnails so it will take a while to download, some cats too.

Kl lajit 5

Another good site

Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa

Janet

diggleken · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 01:10 PM

Thanks a lot Janet, both sites are useful, but neither has case moths, even no result for psychidae or case or bag moth in the european site search facility.
The only stuff I can seem to find on the web is from australia or america and there are none with this one in!
Case moths seem a bit of an unknown thing - mind you, it was to me apart from some clothes moths.

So I thought you might like to see it after all that, plus a blue/hairstreak I can't ID either.
Do you have any details (or anyone else please) of the natural history museum or wherever that might help by e-mail?
Cheers
Ken

charlieb · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 01:43 PM

Psyche casta?

JRsbugs · #5 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 02:31 PM

Ok, I have been searching, like finding a needle in a haystack lol!

Look at Pachytelia villosella, I found a list of Belgian Psychidae with a few pics but the larvae isn't quite showing. An idea of what type of shrubs nearby would help, but the casing looks very similar.

On this site you willhave to first 'choose you language', then go the the 'checklist' at the side, then choose Psychidae.

Phegea

JRsbugs · #6 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 02:36 PM

There's another pic on the site I gave above, but you would have had to know what you was looking for as there was no pic in the thumbnail Gallery!

Kuvapankki

JRsbugs · #7 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 02:41 PM

Some drawings, look at the bottom lot. #2a with 2b showing a caterpillar but not sure about that, it does show striping along the edges though.

Die Raupen der Schmetterlinge Europas (1910)

JRsbugs · #8 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 02:57 PM

I think this is correct! Don't ask me how I got there, lol, look at this Italian site and enalrge the pic showing several images. One shows the larva end which has the same pattern as yours I think!

Collezione entomologica - scatole biologiche

Hmm, the image isn't showing on the link so you will have to take another route.

Trying this link, highlight Pachytelia villosella (photo) then click on the green arrow at bottom right of the box.

Collezione entomologica - scatole biologiche

diggleken · #9 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

I think this is correct! Don't ask me how I got there, lol, look at this Italian site and enalrge the pic showing several images. One shows the larva end which has the same pattern as yours I think!

Collezione entomologica - scatole biologiche

Hmm, the image isn't showing on the link so you will have to take another route.

Trying this link, highlight Pachytelia villosella (photo) then click on the green arrow at bottom right of the box.

Collezione entomologica - scatole biologiche

Thanks Charlie and especially Janet - lot of effort there chuck, excellent work.
Pachytella villosella does look very good from the case - I gather thats a good way to ID these, especially of course where the females dont come out.
Anyway, heres another nice close up of the front end, showing the first segments quite well.
The belgian site notes broom and heather as food plants/case material sources and certainly while there are large forests of Aleppo Pine where I found them (the generally limestone island of Alonnisos, in the Sporades - there were two making their way up an old church wall overlooking the sea), there are some mediterannean broom spp, plus lots of very tall heathers, Erica verticallata especially in profusion, so that fits too.
Here we are, any further thoughts?
Cant quite find the caterpillar markings on the sites, but they are very good, well done indeed, gold star!!

Cheers
Ken

JRsbugs · #10 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 04:29 PM

The pics on the Italian site show a gold coloured body, but the head markings look close. I wonder if yours is more mature? The covering is certainly a way to ID them, if you look at others you will see a big difference. One on the Belgian site was on pine and had pine casing.

As the plants fit, and the casing fits, I would say at least a Pachytelia sp. if not P. villosella.

Thanks for the gold star!