Tortricidae

49.367 Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana (Linnaeus, 1761)

Common

Similar species:

Forewing: 6 to 8mm

Habitats: Woodland, parkland and suburban trees.

Habits: The males fly at sunrise and high up around the trees in afternoon sunshine. The female sometimes comes to light

Foodplant: The larva feeds within an oak or a Sweet Chestnut fruit. It hollows out the interior and fills it with frass. The larva usually leaves the acorn or nut after it has fallen, leaving an obvious exit hole. In October the full-fed larva constructs a cocoon in the leaf litter, or in rotten wood or moss, under loose bark or in a vacated spongy oak gall where it overwinters until it pupates in May.