White Ermine

Spilosoma lubricipeda · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.

The white ermine moth has a wingspan of about 34 to 48 mm and its wing pattern ranges from almost completely white to heavily dotted with sharp black spots. It flies from May to September, depending on where it lives, and its caterpillars eat nettles, broom, alfalfa, viper’s-bugloss and dandelion.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

The forewings are sprinkled with clearly defined black dots, always some along the leading edge and in rows across the disc, but overall the pattern can be from almost all white to heavily dotted.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Wingspan ranges from 34 to 48 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Caterpillars feed on stinging nettle, common broom, alfalfa, viper’s-bugloss and dandelion.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Adults are on the wing from May through September, varying with location.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Flight period is May to September depending on where they are found.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Its native range covers the same temperate Eurasian belt from Europe to East Asia.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

They are noticeably longer than the similar Spilosoma urticae, and some European forms resemble the Asian sangaica variants such as paucipuncta and krieghoffi.

Source: Wikipedia