Dasychira pudibunda is a member of the Lymantriidae family and is commonly known as the Pale Tussock, it is found in woods, parks and gardens across the whole of England and Wales and in localised areas in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The larvae emerge between July and October and have a range of broad leaved food plants including oak, birch, lime and hop leaves. They over winter in the leaf litter of the food plants-presumably in case they wake up early and fancy a snack.
The adults are on the wing during May and June and do not feed at all.
We saw this one on a warm sunny day on a very windy beach in Tenby in the first week of October in 2010. (Yes, I did say "warm" "sunny" and "October" in the same sentence, it did happen. I was there).
