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Spilosoma lubricipeda, the white ermine, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is found throughout the temperate belt of Eurasia from Europe through Kazakhstan and southern Siberia to Amur Region, China, Korea and Japan. In China several sibling species occur. Caterpillar Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 5
A white moth with small black spots on the forewing, however, the number of black spots varies greatly from largely white examples which are almost entirely plain to those with many more spots that may even join together to form streaks along the wing veins.
The fully grown caterpillar of the closely related Buff Ermine is shown above left next to the fully grown White Ermine caterpillar. The similar Water Ermine, Spilosoma urticae, is a localised species largely restricted to fens, marshland and coastal areas in the south east of the UK.
Learn about the White Ermine moth and their identification. Get details about their size, their life cycle, the caterpillar and their diet, the pupa and the adult moth.
Description. Wingspan 34-48 mm. There is considerable variation in the degree of black speckling and, in certain parts of Scotland, there are forms with a buffish ground colour. Identification difficulty. Habitat. Gardens, hedgerows, grassland, heathland, moorland and woodland. When to see it.
Spilosoma lubricipeda, the white ermine, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is found throughout the temperate belt of Eurasia from Europe through Kazakhstan and southern Siberia to Amur Region, China, Korea and Japan.
Erebidae. 72.020 White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda (Linnaeus, 1758) Common. Similar species: Buff Ermine Spilosoma lutea is cream-buff or whitish-buff rather than white and is less spotted except for the diagonal line of spots from the apex to the trailing edge of the forewing which also shows through from the underside of the wing in plainer ...
