Caterpillars devouring trees Help ID them

[Thistledo]

Hi all, I came across a sight that I have never seen before, from a distance it looked like two dead trees so I thought it strange and had a look.

The trees are completely bare and covered in caterpillars, is this an unusual event or is it to be expected, should I tell anyone in authority so they can look after them, what kind of caterpillar are they.

[charlieb]

I'm wondering if these are Spindle Ermine moths, Yponomeuta cagnagella. Do you have any close-up pictures of the caterpillars?

Theres an interesting (albeit short) article in the Sun of all places: Caterpillars cover car in Holland | The Sun |News

[Thistledo]

Does this help.

[charlieb]

There definitely one the ermine moths, Yponomeuta sp, can't tell from the photo which one - maybe Orchard or Bird Cherry Ermine - do you know what the tree was before they defoliated it?

Where abouts in the country were they?

[Thistledo]

I've no idea what the tree was, I suppose it would help with ID, this is just south of Edinburgh, did you want a look.

Bob

[charlieb]

The foodplants of the (commoner) ermines are:

• bird cherry - Bird-cherry Ermine
• blackthorn, hawthorn, cherry - Orchard Ermine
• apple - Apple Ermine
• spindle - Spindle Ermine
• willow - Willow Ermine

The tree doesn't look blackthorn, hawthorn, cherry or apple to me, so that rules out Orchard and Apple Ermine.

Your second photo shows a close-up of the twig underneath the mass of caterpillars - it's bright orange which I have seen in some other photos of Bird Cherry trees covered in ermines.

The caterpillars don't look right for Willow ermine or Spindle ermine, so I'm hedging my bets on Bird-cherry Ermine, Yponomeuta evonymella.