Pammene juniperana

Wingspan about 8 mm. A very small Tortrix which may initially appear a rather plain brown, but actually has a very distinctive banding pattern with highly reflective scales which under magnification show this to be a very attractive moth. 

In view of the rarity of this moth the specimen will need to be retained for confirmation.

Associated with various Juniper species including Juniper communis and most likely to be encountered in the vicinity of these larval foodplants.

August is probably the month when you are most likely to encounter this species in Britain.

The larva feed inside the fruits of Juniper species, although larval feeding in Britain has yet to be recorded.

First recorded in Britain near Wokingham, Berkshire on 6th August 2018. It seems likely that this is a recent colonist and since its first arrival in Britain we are aware of a total of 8 British records prior to it reaching VC55 all from the south of England.

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland. The Whetstone record of 23rd August 2022 in the first for VC55 and the furthest north in Britain to date as far as we are aware.