''Yponomeuta cagnagella'', the spindle ermine, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

from the family

Yponomeutidae : ''Certain members of the unrelated snout moths (Pyralidae) are also known as "ermine moths." Spilosoma lubricipeda is an unrelated moth with the common name "white ermine."'' The family Yponomeutidae are known as the ermine moths, with severa ...

, the ermine moths. The wingspan of the moth ranges from 19 to 26 millimetres. The head is white. Forewings are white; four longitudinal series of few black dots, first not reaching middle, second beginning near before middle, lowest including 4-7 dots; some additional black dots before termen; cilia white. Hindwings are dark grey. The larva is pale greyish-yellowish; spots black; head black.Meyrick, E., 1895 ''A Handbook of British Lepidoptera'' MacMillan, Londo
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Keys and description Flight time ranges from the end of June to October. The moth is attracted to light.

Host plant

The host plant of this moth is

European spindle ''Euonymus europaeus'', the spindle, European spindle, or common spindle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to much of Europe, where it inhabits the edges of forest, hedges and gentle slopes, tending to thrive on ...

. Other ermine moths that use this plant as their host are ''

Yponomeuta plumbella ''Yponomeuta plumbella'' is a moth from the family Yponomeutidae, the ermine moths. Distribution This species is widespread in most of Europe and in Asia Minor. Description The wingspan of ''Yponomeuta plumbella'' ranges from 16 to 20 millimet ...

'' and '' Yponomeuta irrorella''. Image:Yponomeuta_cagnagellus_23-05-2006_18.40.08.JPG, The silk of the larvae of ''Yponomeuta cagnagellus'' Image:Yponomeuta_cagnagellus_23-05-2006_18.40.40.JPG, Larvae of ''Y. cagnagellus'' Image:Yponomeuta cagnagella 2 beentree.jpg, Larvae of ''Y. cagnagellus'' Image:Yponomeuta cagnagella 4 beentree.jpg, Larva of ''Y. cagnagellus''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q668072 Moths described in 1813 Yponomeutidae Moths of Europe Moths of the Middle East