10th May 2025

Have you noticed patches of dense webs in the hedgerows? These are often caused by the larvae of a group of very similar moths called Small Ermine moths. These caterpillars are feeding on Spindle. The web shields them from predators and they can happily munch away until pupating in the web. The adults emerge in July and lay their eggs which hatch into larvae. The tiny larvae overwinter before continuing their development once the Spindle leaves emerge in spring.

Spindle Ermine Moth larvae (Yponomeuta cagnagella)