Yponomeutidae

16.002 Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common

Similar species:

Forewing: 9 to 10.5mm

Habitats: Hedgerows, scrub or wherever the foodplants are found.

Habits: The moth comes to light. There is a theory that the Hawthorn and Blackthorn feeding forms could be of different biological races.

Foodplant: Some larvae hatch in autumn and overwinter while small, others do not hatch until the spring. The gregarious larva feeds in a web on Hawthorn, Blackthorn or Cherry Plum, sometimes defoliating large stretches of a hedgerow. The larva pupates in a cocoon in the web.