Spindle Ermine Moth

Spindle Ermine Moth

Yponomeuta cagnagellus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Chicago

In 3 days ~10%

5 Verified sightings at Chicago
5 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spindle Ermine Moth

Yponomeuta cagnagella, the spindle ermine, is a moth from the family Yponomeutidae, the ermine moths. The wingspan of the moth ranges from 19 to 26 millimetres. The head is white. Forewings are white; four longitudinal series of few black dots, first not reaching middle, second beginning near before middle, lowest including 4-7 dots; some additional black dots before termen; cilia white. Hindwings are dark grey. The larva is pale greyish-yellowish; spots black; head black.

Flight time ranges from the end of June to October. The moth is attracted to light. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kharkiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
2 Cologne 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
4 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
5 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
6 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
7 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
<5%
8 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
9 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spindle Ermine Moth in Chicago?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spindle Ermine Moth sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 884th most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spindle Ermine Moth in Chicago?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spindle Ermine Moth in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Spindle Ermine Moth?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spindle Ermine Moth sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chicago the best place to see a Spindle Ermine Moth?

9th of 9

Of the 9 cities where we can rate Spindle Ermine Moth sightings, Chicago ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 10%), Cologne (Germany, about 10%) and Berlin (Germany, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Spindle Ermine Moth live in Chicago?

Same order: Lepidoptera

The closest relatives of the Spindle Ermine Moth that you can see in Chicago (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Monarch (about 40%), Black Swallowtail (about 30%) and Red Admiral (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Spindle Ermine Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spindle Ermine Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (5 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Chicago