Large Spot Ermine Moth Yponomeuta plumbella
There are only a few Ermine Moths which can be named in the field. The Large Spot Ermine is one of them. The two big black spots near the edge of the wing and the dark smear near the tip of the wing give it away immediately. The wing span is some 16 to 20 mm. In Britain there are two slightly seperated broods: April and May and again in August. On the continent the species is seen from the end of April to the end of September in two overlapping broods. The larvae live on spindle exclusively. Finding a plant full of ermine caterpillars however does not mean it is full of the larvae of the Large Spot Ermine. Other species, including the Spindle Ermine, use this plant as a host as well. Common in most of Europe. In Britain only found in England, the south of Wales and the southern parts of Ireland.
