Apple Ermine
Yponomeuta malinellus
This record describes Yponomeuta malinellus (species). Recorded family: Yponomeutidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
This is one of four Ermine moth species, namely Orchard Ermine (Yponomeuta padella), Apple Ermine (Yponomeuta malinellus), Spindle Ermine (Yponomeuta cagnagella) and Willow Ermine ( Yponomeuta rorrella ) which should now be recorded as Yponomeuta agg. , unless it is made clear that they were recorded as an occupied larval web or reared from the relevant larval foodplant. It flies in July and August and is attracted to light. Larva feeds on Apple, living gregariously within a silken web. Widespread in England with a few records in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It is less common than previously and most often found in the south. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
Wikipedia reference for Yponomeuta malinellus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yponomeuta_malinellus.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Yponomeutoidea
- Family
- Yponomeutidae (Ermine Moths)
- Subfamily
- Yponomeutinae
- Tribe
- Yponomeutini
- Genus
- Yponomeuta (Small Ermine Moths)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Apple orchards.
Seasonal Activity
It flies in July and August and is attracted to light.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
Larva feeds on Apple, living gregariously within a silken web.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Widespread in England with a few records in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It is less common than previously and most often found in the south. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Yponomeuta malinellus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Apple Ermine (9)
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Ermine
What is Apple Ermine?
Apple Ermine (Yponomeuta malinellus) is a species in the family Yponomeutidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Apple Ermine found?
Habitat: Apple orchards.
When is Apple Ermine active?
Apple Ermine: seasonal activity - It flies in July and August and is attracted to light..
What is the life cycle of a Apple Ermine?
Larva feeds on Apple, living gregariously within a silken web.