SILKEN cobweb structures covering hedgerows near The Beehive park-and-ride site on the Amesbury Road are spreading across south Wiltshire.

Since publishing a photograph of the cobwebs a few weeks ago, Rural View has received an unprecedented response from readers from as far afield as Pitton, Homington, Hyde, Barford St Martin and the Amesbury area, who have all seen similar webs covering hedges and vegetation.

In all cases, the hedgerows and plants have been stripped of their leaves and greenery and have been left looking lifeless. Correspondents, however, appear to differ on what is responsible for the webs.

Trevor Lewis, from Winterbourne Earls, said they are communal webs of caterpillars of Small Ermine moths (Yponomeuta spp) which feed on the plant within the webs until late May or June then pupate en masse, emerging as moths with silver/white forewings, varying black spots and smokey-brown hindwings.

Peter Grandison, from Homington, supports this and said the caterpillars are greenish-grey with black spots.

Amateur photographer, David Hargrave, said the cobwebs are common in mild springs and are made by a type of tent moth, originally from America. They completely defoilate hedges.

Richard Gambell, from Hyde, near Fordingbridge, sent in photos of both webs and caterpillars plus a warning letter which appeared in a national newspaper.

The letter was from a lady in Alicante who said the webs and caterpillars seen in England resembled a "processionary caterpillar" which has not only caused havoc in Spain but can cause serious breathing problems for animals and humans who come into contact with their hairs.

Another lady e-mailed Rural View saying "far from being silken masterpieces, they are the stuff of nightmares."

She spotted them near Pitton and added: "The hedges are completely dead and covered in cobwebs which covered all the branches and stretched down onto the grass verge.

Tony Coultiss, from the Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Record Centre attached to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, told Rural View the culprits are almost certainly the Small Ermine moth.

He added: "Every now and then, they can reach plague proportions. They over-winter as caterpillars and if the winter is mild and there is a mild spring, they can multiply."

It seems likely the hedges and vegetation will recover - but perhaps not until next year.