Buff ermine
Its hairy orange caterpillars are covered in bristles that can irritate skin on contact, unlike the harmless-looking plain buff colored adult moth.
| Where | Gardens, hedgerows and waste ground |
|---|---|
| Size | 34 to 42 mm wingspan |
| When | May to August |
The Buff ermine has buff yellow forewings scattered with small black spots that vary in number between individuals, and a yellow abdomen crossed by black dorsal bars.
Caterpillars are dark brown and covered in dense reddish-orange hairs, feeding on a wide range of low plants through late summer and autumn before overwintering as a pupa.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Yellow, Black
Active
Night
To people
Mild
Adults are harmless to handle; caterpillar hairs can cause mild skin irritation similar to a nettle rash in sensitive people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar size at 32 to 45 mm wingspan but white rather than buff yellow, with more numerous black spots across the forewing.
Questions
Is the Buff ermine dangerous to people?
Mild. Adults are harmless to handle; caterpillar hairs can cause mild skin irritation similar to a nettle rash in sensitive people.
When can you see the Buff ermine?
The Buff ermine can be seen from May to August, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by David Short from Windsor, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Erebid moths›Spilosoma
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.