Thousands of Caterpillars : What are they?

[tigger]

I saw a hedge covered in what I thought was spiders web the other day as I was driving down a local country road near to where I live in Dorset. Today I stopped to have a closer look, and realised the web was "silk" from thousands of caterpillars. They were merrily munching through the hedge (hawthorn I think).

Here are some pictures, first the hedge, then the silk and then a close up.

What are they? any ideas? they were pretty impressive, I'm glad I stopped the car now!

[Ukwildlifeo]

I think the sawfly caterpillers - Im saw someone will be more precise soon!

[Dogghound]

Yponomeuta padella a moth from the Yponomeutidae family their diet consists of hawthorn.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Yponomeuta padella a moth from the Yponomeutidae family their diet consists of hawthorn.

See what did I say - except the sawfly bit!

(nice one dogghound - reliable as ever )

[Harry Eales]

[quote=tigger;280613]I saw a hedge covered in what I thought was spiders web the other day as I was driving down a local country road near to where I live in Dorset. Today I stopped to have a closer look, and realised the web was "silk" from thousands of caterpillars. They were merrily munching through the hedge (hawthorn I think).

Here are some pictures, first the hedge, then the silk and then a close up.

What are they? any ideas? they were pretty impressive, I'm glad I stopped the car now!

Hello Tigger,
These larvae were almost certainly a 'Micro' known as the Hawthorn Ermine Moth. There are several 'Ermine' micro species each of which are capable of completely defoliating a whole tree or several hundred yards of Hawthorn hedgerow.

I get the Hawthorn and the Cherry Ermine 'Micro's' in the valley where I live. The Bird Cherry trees often have several dozen 'nests' of these larvae and it is quite common to see well developed trees some 30' high completely stripped of leaves by these small larvae. They usually turn up in hundreds in my MV trap. Tha adult insects of all the Ermine 'Micro's' are very similar in appearance, having silvery wings dotted with dark brown spots. Quite a beautiful insect really.

Harry

[tigger]

I think I will need to go back and double check that they were in Hawthorn hedges... I will also check out the other groups that I saw along the road (to check that they are the same larvae).

Thank you for your help. I would never have found them in my ID books

Do you have their latin name?

Thanks. Jane

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Yponomeuta padella a moth from the Yponomeutidae family their diet consists of hawthorn.

This is the latin name.

[tigger]

Sorry I missed that and thank you!

Jane