Small Eggar
Eriogaster lanestris
LasiocampidaeABH 66.005 B&F 1633This moth flies very early in the year and the adults are not often recorded; it is far more frequently recorded through its conspicuous larval webs on (almost always, in Somerset ) Blackthorn Prunus spinosa. A moth with a population greatly reduced nationally by destruction and repetitive flailing of hedgerows; Somerset is one of its strongholds. It occurs in a band across the county, absent from west of Taunton/Bridgwater, scarce in the Mendips and northwards, and absent east of Castle Cary/Shepton Mallet, apart from around Frome where another large population in Wiltshire just spills over the border.
Further reading -
Brown, K. (2002). Some notes and observations on the Small Eggar Eriogaster lanestris (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) in Somerset. Entomologist's Record 114: 88-91.
Adult Verification Grade: 1