Species Details

ABH: 72.019

BF: 2061

Family: Erebidae

Subfamily: Arctiinae

Taxon: Spilosoma lutea

Authority: (Hufnagel, 1766)

Vernacular: Buff Ermine

Account: Common in a wide range of habitats, including gardens, hedgerows, parkland and woodland throughout England and southern Scotland, a species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The females much darker than the males. Larva feeds on Stinging Nettle, Honeysuckle, Hop and Wild Plum, over-wintering as a pupa.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 34 — 42 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 19 Apr (2011) — 16 Oct (2017)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Polyphagous.

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP: BAP(R)

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/spilosoma-lutea/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 1069

Individuals: 1473

Earliest Year: 1903

Latest Year: 2025

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