Search results
Moths of the British Isles – Bernard Skinnner. White Ermine Moth and caterpillar (Spilosoma lubricipeda) photographs and information of this common moth and it's commonly seen hairy caterpillar.
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.
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 .
Wingspan 34-48 mm. Widely distributed and fairly common over much of Britain, there is considerable variation in the degree of black speckling, and in certain parts of Scotland, there are forms with a buffish ground colour. It generally flies from May to July, sometimes later in the south.
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.
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.
The ermine (Mustela erminea) is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Introduced in the late 19th century into New Zealand to control rabbits, the ermine has had a devastating effect on native bird populations.
