Description: Wingspan 34-48mm. Despite its name, this species is often variable in colour with some adults having cream to buff-coloured forewings. Both sexes similar in appearance and quite variable in the intensity of colour and markings on wings. Forewings of most adults are pale ochreous white with small black markings, which vary in number and intensity of dotting. Head and thorax white and quite hairy. Hindwings pale ochreous white with discal spot. Abdomen yellow with black dorsal bars and a small white anal tuft. Early May until the beginning of September.

World Distribution: Across the Palaearctic region.

Irish Distribution: Widely distributed and commonly encountered throughout all counties.

Ecology: A common species associated with a wide variety of habitats including hedgerows and urban gardens. They are attracted to light and appear frequently in traps in moderate numbers. The larvae are polyphagous feeding during August and September on a wide variety of wild and garden plants. It overwinters as a pupa.

Key Identification Features:

• White forewings with small black dots
• Large hairy thorax
• Yellow abdomen and black dorsal bars.

Distribution Map from NBN: Spilosoma lubricipeda at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Spilosoma lubricipeda at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.