Spindle Ermine - Yponomeuta cagnagella

Description

This is one of four Ermine moth species, namely Orchard Ermine (Yponomeuta padella), Apple Ermine (Yponomeuta malinellus), Spindle Ermine (Yponomeuta cagnagella) and Willow Ermine (Yponomeuta rorrella) which should now be recorded as Yponomeuta agg., unless it is made clear that they were recorded as an occupied larval web or reared from the relevant larval foodplant.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Prefers chalk or limestone districts.

When to see it

July and August

Life History

The food plant is Spindle the larvae feeding gregariously in a silken web.

UK Status

Fairly common throughout Britain except in the far north. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

VC55 Status

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = C (very scarce resident or rare migrant)

Reference
16.004 BF427

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Spindle Ermine
Species group:
Moths
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Yponomeutidae
Records on NatureSpot:
22
First record:
17/06/2013 (Semper, Alan)
Last record:
08/06/2023 (Gray, Stephen)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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