49.3771 Pammene juniperana (Juniper Berry Piercer)
ws: ~8mm; Aug*; Juniper; New to britain in 2018, Berkshire
Ref: Cole et al; Br J Ent Nat Hist 32:2019
Ref: Cole et al; Br J Ent Nat Hist 32:2019
Pammene juniperana §2 male
ID: (Male**) antenna and labial palps (and possibly frons) white. Vertex, thorax and forewing ground colour brown. Forewing with a broad complete ~transverse metallic silvery-white median fascia (more white at its proximal margin, more silver distally); distal to this 4 white costal strigulae the first and third of which give rise to silver striae; ocellus a pair of silver dashes angled with the costal striae, with a series of short black streaks and spots; all the ground colour scales distal to the median fascia irrorate yellow, much less so proximal to the fascia; costa blackish between the strigulae and for a short distance proximal to the median fascia; a row of black scales at the base of the terminal cilia. Hindwing ground colour same as forewing; anal lobe black; area between subcostal vein and costa whitish except at base where black; (also see pattern of black scales on underside in dissection images below).
The few web images of P.juniperana show a black proximal border to the median fascia, but this was not apparent in §1 or §2.
The proximal silver ocellar dash is unusually strong, reaches the dorsum, and forms an almost complete angled line with the proximal costal stria - together these could be interpreted as a postmedian line/fascia.
Most Grapholitini with a complete median fascia are larger, with the fascia angled and usually divided by lines of ground colour.
Cydia cosmophorana is the most similar and may overlap in size; but its median fascia is angled to a similar extent, and is of a similar width to, the postmedian line - this line being complete in C.cosmophorana. In P.juniperana some of the black ocellar spots are proximal to the proximal silver ocellar dash; in C.cosmophorana the black ocellar markings are confined between the two silver dashes.
(** I have no knowledge of how, or whether, females differ from males in external appearance)
The few web images of P.juniperana show a black proximal border to the median fascia, but this was not apparent in §1 or §2.
The proximal silver ocellar dash is unusually strong, reaches the dorsum, and forms an almost complete angled line with the proximal costal stria - together these could be interpreted as a postmedian line/fascia.
Most Grapholitini with a complete median fascia are larger, with the fascia angled and usually divided by lines of ground colour.
Cydia cosmophorana is the most similar and may overlap in size; but its median fascia is angled to a similar extent, and is of a similar width to, the postmedian line - this line being complete in C.cosmophorana. In P.juniperana some of the black ocellar spots are proximal to the proximal silver ocellar dash; in C.cosmophorana the black ocellar markings are confined between the two silver dashes.
(** I have no knowledge of how, or whether, females differ from males in external appearance)
§1 Colchester, Essex; 13/08/2022; male; fw 3.6mm; to NIG lure; 5th for Britain, 1st for Essex* (specimen supplied by Alec Undrill)
§2 Colchester, Essex; 13/08/2022; male; fw 4.0mm; to actinic light; 6th for Britain, 2nd for Essex* (specimen supplied by Alec Undrill)
§3 Colchester, Essex; 25/07/2023; male; fw 3.7mm (specimen supplied by Alec Undrill)
All images © Chris Lewis
* Alec also obtained a specimen which he identified as this species on 25/06/2022, but it was not retained and the identity not confirmed. He obtained a further 2 specimens 14&15/08/2022.
§2 Colchester, Essex; 13/08/2022; male; fw 4.0mm; to actinic light; 6th for Britain, 2nd for Essex* (specimen supplied by Alec Undrill)
§3 Colchester, Essex; 25/07/2023; male; fw 3.7mm (specimen supplied by Alec Undrill)
All images © Chris Lewis
* Alec also obtained a specimen which he identified as this species on 25/06/2022, but it was not retained and the identity not confirmed. He obtained a further 2 specimens 14&15/08/2022.
Page published 17/08/2022 (§1&2) | §3 added 18/07/2023
