Spindle Ermine (Yponomeuta cagnagella) on the wing

[SteveH]

Spindle Ermine (Yponomeuta cagnagella) on the wing:

Spindle Ermine is all but restricted (in terms of being recorded at least) to a 3-400 metres stretch of assorted Hawthorn and Spindle on the track overlooking Number six tank on Frodsham Marsh. The colony has been reasonable stable in number until the last two years, when its been recorded in staggering numbers (3-400,000 larvae in spring this year).

The adults are now on the wing and are certainly worth a look at. Last Thursday (14th July 2011) there were about 2,000-odd, clearly emerging as we were there - a few were seen on the way past the colony and the couple of thousand on the way back about 45 minutes later. Amazingly, the Spindle bushes that were totally trashed by them during the spring are in practically full leaf again...

If you haven't been there before, the site is at c.SJ500783 (and about 100-150 metres either side of this point) - if you know Frodsham Marshes, then its the elevated track that runs along the north side of number six tank. Its probably not a track you would be wanting to take your car up, so park at the base of the sloping track at SJ506781 and walk the 400 metres or so along to see them. They should be on the wing until at least the end of July and probably into August. As a guide, and in the unlikely event you haven't seen any beforehand, you shouldn't walk along the track BEYOND where the water / mud line is within the tank below.

Steve

[RayBertera]

Spindle Ermine (Yponomeuta cagnagella):

I had the first of this species for the year in my Frodsham garden trap on July 10th 2011. Presumably it came from the Frosham Marsh colony.

Ray

[SteveH]

...just padella and evonymella here in Elton.

Steve

[RayBertera]

evonymella is the Yponomeuta species I catch most frequently at Frodsham, followed by padella/mallinus. cagnagella first appeared in my trap in 2002, but has only appeared occasionally since, always in the mid to late July period.

Ray