Topic: Ophion revision
Hi Chris,
The following message comes from the SEWBReC facebook page:
The 'horse's head' on the forewings is indicative of Ophion sp and my ID was taken further by Jaswinder Boparai, on the UK Bees, Wasps & Ants Facebook Group, who suggested it was probably Ophion slaviceki.
This species doesn't appear on SEWBReCORD, and I found, after a bit of on-line searching, that Ophion slaviceki is a synonym of Ophion luteus. I have therefore entered this record on SEWBReCORD as Ophion luteus, but when I queried the preferred name with Jaswinder his reply was as follows -
" There has been a revision of the Swedish (European) species of Ophioninae, where Ophion luteus is still a valid name, but for the species that flies earlier in the year and is much scarcer in Britain, so your LERC will have to update, as well as irecord, but on irecord someone can correct and verify your record and it can be added to the nocturnal recording scheme "
I'm not sure where this revision is published, but can you raise the status of Ophion slaviceki from synonym to species?
Cheers,
Dave
Senior IT & Records Officer,
15 Talbot Road, Talbot Green, Pontyclun, CF72 8AD
www.sewbrec.org.uk, www.sewbrecord.org.uk