The webs of the Orchard Ermine moth (Yponomeuta padella) hedgerow pest. These webs look almost synthetic, from this picture you can not see the little black caterpillers. the webs totally covered 2m long x 2m high hedge, stripping vegetation from the adjoining ash tree. Very bizzare looking.

Downpatrick Northern Ireland.

Canon 40D sigma 150-500mm@164mm
iso400 1/640sec f6.3

Yponomeuta padella
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Orchard Ermine

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Yponomeutidae

Subfamily: Yponomeutinae

Genus: Yponomeuta

Species: Y. padella

Binomial name
Yponomeuta padella
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Phalaena padella Linnaeus, 1758

The Orchard Ermine (Yponomeuta padella) is a lepidoptera from the family Yponomeutidae, the Ermine moths. The wingspan ranges from 19 to 22 mm.It is also known as the Cherry Ermine.

The flight time ranges from July to August. The moth is attracted to light.

Similar species (also destructive pests):

Apple Ermine Moth (AEM) Yponomeuta malinellus
Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella
[edit] Host Plant
The larvae feed on Prunus spinosa, Crataegus and Prunus.

[edit] Taxonomy
Both Yponomeuta diffluellus Heinemann, 1870 and Yponomeuta rhamnellus Gershenson, 1974 were treated as valid species by Gershenson and Ulenberg in 1998, but most authors regard it as synonyms of Yponomeuta padella.