2026 The Vapourer Orgyia antiqua
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Wingspan 25-30 mm.An unusual species in many ways, the males fly during the day (although the example depicted was attracted to light at night).
The females are virtually wingless, an attribute normally associated with winter-emerging species, but the adults are out from July to September, sometimes October in the south.
The female lays her eggs on what remains of the pupal cocoon, which then overwinter. When hatched, the very hairy caterpillars feed on a range of deciduous trees and shrubs.
The species is fairly common, especially in suburban habitats, over much of Britain, but more so in the south.