Thousands of marauding caterpillars trap car in silky web



Most drivers would be delighted if their car came with a silk-lined interior.

Whether it's such an appealing prospect on the outside is another matter.

This is the sight that greeted one unlucky motorist when he returned to his vehicle in Rotterdam.

Moth attack: Spindle ermines covered this car with a giant silk web in Rotterdam

Webbed tree: The moths spin their web as a form of protection from wasps and birds before they pupate in their cocoons

Under a giant silk cocoon created by an army of caterpillars, the shape of a Honda is just about visible.

The car was mistaken as food by spindle ermine larvae, which had already begun to strip a nearby tree of its leaves.

Spindle ermines weave silk webs to protect themselves from birds and wasps, allowing them to gorge on leaves for six weeks before transforming into butterflies.



Eight species live in Britain and their webs can be seen throughout the country.



Their favoured tree is the spindle - which is often used in car parks and for lining motorways.

Stuart Hine of the Natural History Museum said : 'It only takes a few days. But we aren't talking about anything from Indiana Jones here.