Caterpillars create 'avenue of ghosts' in Cambridge park - in pictures

An entire avenue of trees on Jesus Green in Cambridge is draped with the spectacular cobweb-like clusters Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA

Thousands of wispy white webs are draped over trees and bushes. 'I was stunned when I saw all the cobwebs, it makes the park look really spooky,' said Hannah Atkin, 23, from Cambridge. 'At first I thought it was a frost or spider's webs, but when I looked more closely I realised the trees were actually covered in webs which were full of tiny caterpillars. It really gave me the creeps' Photograph: Geoff Robinson

The web sometimes covers hundreds of caterpillars and the damage to plants and trees can be severe, although they usually recover by the following year Photograph: Geoff Robinson

There are eight varieties of ermine moth that live in the UK, with the bird-cherry, with five rows of black dots on the forewing being the most common. Some adults are so similar that the only way to identify them is by their caterpillars' food plant – in this case the native and common bird-cherry tree Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA

The moth's larvae, which are about an inch long, make large communal silvery webs for protection. They then feast on the surrounding leaves Photograph: Geoff Robinson/Geoff Robinson

Around 16 trees in the avenue on Jesus Green are now covered and have been stripped bare Photograph: Geoff Robinson

The caterpillars emerge when the weather starts to get warmer and spin the cobweb to protect them from birds. Experts say the high numbers this year could be due to the cold winter and spring that may have killed off predators Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA

There was an outbreak in Bradford in July 2011. The caterpillars were reported to have stripped bare 15 fully grown trees in Shipley Hall Fields, a small but popular municipal park in the Frizinghall area Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA

Nocturnal, the moth flies during July and August Photograph: Andrew Darrington/Alamy