Pammene germmana
Black Piercer
Wingspan about 12 mm. This species, despite its dull appearance, is relatively easy to recognise. It has a dark brown quite plain appearance, with a series of creamy-coloured strigulae along the costa, interspersed with occasional bluish-metallic streaks.
Hedgerows and open woodland.
The adults fly in May and June.
The life history is not well documented, but apparently the larvae feed in fruits of Plum (Prunus), and possibly in shoots of Oak (Quercus) and Hawthorn (Crataegus).
Its known distribution covers much of England, but is not very common anywhere, and becomes scarcer further north. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
It appears to be uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland, where there are few records. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).
Steve Mathers
Owston Wood
14 June 2018
confirmed by gen det
Steve Mathers
Owston Wood
14 June 2018
confirmed by gen det
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
Enter a town or village to see local records
MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Black Piercer
- Species group:
- insect - moth
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Lepidoptera
- Family:
- Tortricidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 3
- First record:
- 11/06/2015 (Russell, Adrian)
- Last record:
- 14/06/2018 (Mathers, Steve)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.