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21 Jan 2026
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21 Jan 2026
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A spooky giant web has appeared in Portlaoise this May, and we have found out why.
The web covers both sides of a long beech hedgerow right next to the busy JFL Avenue through the town.
It's not Halloween but it looks like someone got busy with their decorating.
Portlaoise Tidy Towns chair Vincent Booth has confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that it is the work of a tiny caterpillar of the Orchid Ermine Moth.
The Orchid Ermine Moth. Photo: Ryszard Szczygieł
The moth is a common resident of Ireland and the UK. Its wings are grey/white with black dots, hence its name because it resembles Ermine fur.
Read also: Live nestwatch underway from Ballyfin farm to Laois schools
According to www.butterflyconservation.org, the Orchid Ermine gathers in one spot to feed on hedging, "the grey webbing can often cover metres of hedgerow where the leaves will be almost entirely defoliated".
After they pupate, the entire gathering will fly away together at night between June to August in a single generation, a sight to behold.
The spectacle is timely because Laois Biodiversity Week is in full swing, ending on Sunday, May 25. See event list here
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