Deceptive in ermine

I was much taken with this moth that appeared in the kitchen. It was motionless and as I touched it with my finger it appeared to collapse and expire. I put it in the porch and next time I looked it had gone.

It's a white ermine moth Spilosoma lubricipeda and I'd been taken in by its theatricals.

When threatened, it has two forms of defence. It will often simply fall on its side and feign death. This position can be held for several minutes. Or, it can quickly open its wings to reveal the orange and black top side of its abdomen. This colour combination is seen in a lot of insects and seems to suggest that they are not good to eat.

It is the first form of defence it's using here but in the image on the right you can just see a hint of the orange warning.

Ermine is the winter coat of the stoat which turns completely white apart from the black tail tip. The fur, symbolising moral purity, has always been a luxury item used extensively by royalty. Some examples can be seen on this page.

By contrast the white ermine's caterpillar is black and hairy.