Bug FAQBird-cherry Ermine
Yponomeuta evonymella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Yponomeutidae
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of 16 to 25 mm and white forewings marked with five rows of black spots. Its larvae feed on bird cherry buds and leaves, sometimes moving onto cherry or buckthorn, and can become a garden or orchard pest. It flies at night from July to August and is found across most of Europe and northern/eastern Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Hind wings are smoky brown with a dark edge.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 16 to 25 mm (about 0.6 to 1.0 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in most of Europe, from river lowlands to deciduous forest edges, stream banks, gardens and parks.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars mainly eat bird cherry, but may also feed on cherry or buckthorn.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females lay eggs on winter buds. Young caterpillars overwinter under bud scales and become active when buds burst in spring. Larvae feed until late May or early June, then pupate.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from July to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes almost all of Europe and the northern and eastern parts of Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Similar destructive pests include the cherry or orchard ermine (Yponomeuta padella) and the apple ermine (Yponomeuta malinellus).
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do bird-cherry ermine caterpillars eat?
They mainly feed on bird cherry, but can also be found on cherry and buckthorn.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult bird-cherry ermine moths active?
Adults fly at night from July through August and are attracted to lights.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this moth apart from similar species?
Look for white forewings with five rows of black spots and smoky-brown hind wings; other ermine moths have different spot patterns.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird-cherry_ermine
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.