The bird-cherry ermine (''Yponomeuta evonymella'') is a species of

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 ...

in 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 16 to 25 mm. The insect was first described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

who gave it the name ''Phalaena evonymella''; it was later transferred to the genus '' Yponomeuta'', becoming ''Yponomeuta evonymella''. The moth can be found in the whole of Europe and the northern and eastern part of Asia.

Description

The adult bird-cherry ermine is a distinctive moth with a wingspan of between . The forewings are white with five longitudinal rows of small black spots. The hind wings are a smoky brown colour, with a dark edging. They are wider and shorter than the forewings. The fine, thread-like antennae reach two-thirds of the length of the wings. When the moths are resting, the wings are rolled and placed close to the body, so that the insect looks almost tubular. At the slightest disturbance, the moths skip away and skilfully drop to the ground.

Distribution and habitat

This species may be found in almost the whole of Europe from the river lowlands to the deciduous forest border in alluvial forests, on stream banks with bushes and trees as well as in gardens and parks. Population sizes fluctuate over the years, but mass outbreaks that lead to the devouring of all the foliage on the tree are not uncommon.

Ecology

The host plant of the bird-cherry ermine is the

bird cherry Bird cherry is a common name for the European plant '' Prunus padus''. Bird cherry may also refer to: * ''Prunus'' subg. ''Padus'', a group of species closely related to ''Prunus padus'' * ''Prunus avium'', the cultivated cherry, with the Latin e ...

, but occasionally the caterpillars are found on

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...

buckthorn ''Rhamnus'' is a genus of about 110 accepted species of shrubs or small trees, commonly known as buckthorns, in the family Rhamnaceae. Its species range from tall (rarely to ) and are native mainly in east Asia and North America, but found thr ...

. The females lay their eggs on the winter buds. The young caterpillars overwinter underneath the bud scales and become active when the buds burst in spring. The larvae feed until the end of May or early June and then pupate in tightly packed communal webs on the trunk or among the herbaceous plants below. Because the caterpillars are concealed inside an extensive web-like nest, they can eat a whole tree bare unhindered, although it is likely that the trees will survive, with reduced growth in the following growth seasons. They seem to have few predators, but their numbers are reduced as a result of attacks by parasitic wasps.Specieswatch: Bird-cherry ermine moth
''The Guardian'' The adult insects are nocturnal and their flight time ranges from July to August. They feed on nectar and are attracted to lights. Bird-cherry ermine moth (Yponomeuta evonymella) caterpillars.jpg, Caterpillars in nest 20050616 yponomeuta evonymella HPIM0871.JPG, Damage done by the caterpillars Yponomeuta evonymella on Prunus padus.jpg, Tree stripped of foliage and covered in caterpillar silk Similar species (also destructive pests): * Cherry or orchard ermine, ''Yponomeuta padella'' (CEM) * Apple ermine ''Yponomeuta malinellus'' (AEM)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1829198 Yponomeutidae Insect pests of ornamental plants Moths described in 1758 Moths of Asia Moths of Europe Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus