First record of Pammene blockiana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Russia

Abstract

The study reports the first record of the tortricid moth Pammene blockiana from Russia. Its males were captured in Sochi in May 2025 in pheromone traps baited with the synthetic sex pheromone of the quarantine pest, the Oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta. A total of 48 males of P. blockiana were collected from seven traps deployed in gardens and ornamental tree plantings in Sochi. The species was identified based on morphology (forewing pattern and genitalia) and DNA barcoding. The specimens from Sochi showed low genetic variability (0.2 % among three males from three sites) and clustered with individuals from Greece, with a maximum genetic distance of 1.4 %. In DNA-barcoding fragment, Pammene oxycedrana was the closest to P. blockiana, with a minimum genetic distance of 5.4 %, followed by Pammene juniperana (7.1 %). Regular catches in the pheromone traps suggest that P. blockiana is established and potentially abundant in Sochi. As its larvae damage cones of Cupressus and Juniperus, the species may represent a potential threat to Cupressaceae in man-made plantings and nature along the Black Sea coast. New data on the species distribution and the photographs of moth and male genitalia of P. blockiana, as well as the photographs of the related moth species are provided. The species diagnosis is given to distinguish P. blockiana from closely related species associated with Cupressaceae in Europe. Possible ecological consequences and the risk of further spread of P. blockiana are discussed.