Pammene suspectana new to Herts

Since getting started with Pheremone traps on the 7th of May, i've had 4 different lures hanging in the garden and in the adjacent alleyway, these are for 'pomonella' 'funebrana' 'vitrealis' and 'molesta'

I check them 3 times a day at present, although i've found nothing in them during the heat of the day, the last hour of sun has been the most productive (I say productive, i've only managed a handful of species so far).

On the 15th of May at 6:30pm, a small dark Tortrix was racing around inside of the 'funebrana' lure trap. Potted up and photographed, I held onto the moth with the possibility of it being Pammene suspectana (With thanks to Tim Green for highlighting this potential species to me), it was more likely to be albuginana, still a rare moth for me and my last record being 8 years ago, either would be new for the garden.

Then the next day, I checked again at pretty much time the following day, and a slightly smaller specimen was sitting inside the ame trap, the moth looked exactly the same species.

Wind on nearly two weeks and Graeme Smith has got back to me with the dissection results, and unbelievably they are both the Ash feeder Pammene suspectana! And a 1st and 2nd County record and moth species no.736 for he garden.

To say i'm gobsmacked is an understatement.

It just shows you the power of these pheremone lures. With not much Ash around here, I was convinced they would be the Oak feeding Pammene albuginana, of which we have plenty of the foodplant.

With thanks to Tim Green for pointing me in the right direction with lures and for Graeme for the excellent dissection.