Pammene suspectana

This record describes Pammene suspectana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Very similar to several other of the Pammene genus, gen det is required to confirm identification. Areas with Ash trees – the larval foodplant. May and June. It may be attracted the FUN Pheromone lure. Until very recently there were very few records for Britain and in the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as RDB2. However since an effective pheromone lure has become available for this species it has been shown to be much more common than previously thought.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tortricidae
Genus: Pammene

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Areas with Ash trees – the larval foodplant.

Seasonal Activity

May and June. It may be attracted the FUN Pheromone lure.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larvae feed under the bark of Ash.

Additional species information

Recorded status

Until very recently there were very few records for Britain and in the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as RDB2. However since an effective pheromone lure has become available for this species it has been shown to be much more common than previously thought.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Pammene suspectana. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.

Ecological role of the group

Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.

Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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