72.019 Spilosoma lutea (Buff Ermine)
fw: 17-22mm; May-Jul, occasionally bivoltine in south Sep-Oct; common nettle (Urtica dioica) and various other herbaceous plants; common in England and Wales, more local in Scotland
Spilosoma lutea (Buff Ermine) §1 male
ID: Forewing buff to yellowish, paler in female, with very variable black markings: usually a black spot near base of costa and a diagonal row of elongate black spots from near apex to mid-dorsum (the costo-apical and dorsal parts of this line are better marked on the upperside and the central part is better marked on the underside but shows through indistinctly onto the upperside); hindwing similar colour to forewing with a mid-subdorsal black spot and a variable spot near the tornus; antenna shortly bipectinate in male, dentate-setose in female.
§1 New Forest, Hampshire; 30/05/2010; male
§2 New forest, Hampshire; 03/06/2012; female
§3 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex' 25/07/2012; male
§4 St Lawrence, Isle of Wight; 03/06/2014; female
§5 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 01/10/2014; male
§6 Mull; 19/06/2018; male; fw 15.7mm
§7 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 10/10/2021; male
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 New forest, Hampshire; 03/06/2012; female
§3 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex' 25/07/2012; male
§4 St Lawrence, Isle of Wight; 03/06/2014; female
§5 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 01/10/2014; male
§6 Mull; 19/06/2018; male; fw 15.7mm
§7 St Marys, Isles of Scilly; 10/10/2021; male
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 10/03/2015 (§1-5) | §6 added 19/04/2019 | §7 added 06/01/2022
