Gypsy Moth
Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Erebidae
Subfamily: Lymantriinae
Identification: Sexually dimorphic: female much larger and lighter in color. Forewing brown with yellowish overlay in male. Hindwing yellowish to reddish brown. Reniform spot consists of three black spots (usually merged) in both sexes; black orbicular dot also present. Wings whitish in female, with deeply scalloped gray lines and black spots. Terminal line a series of black dots on forewing and hindwing.
Wing Span: 3-4 cm in males; 5.6-6.7 cm in females.
Life History: Larvae can defoliate large tracts of forests in peak years. In woods where larvae are numerous, you can actually hear them feeding.
Flight:
Caterpillar Hosts: Oaks are preferred. Also alder, apple, basswood, birches, box elder, hawthorn, hazelnut, larch, mountain-ash, poplars, rose bushes, sumac, willows, and witch-hazel.
Adult Food:
Habitat: Forests.
Range: Deliberately introduced from Europe at Medford, Massachusetts in 1868 or 1869 by Leopold Trouvelot, who hoped to raise this moth for silk production. Now, established from Nova Scotia to North Carolina and Florida, west to Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri. Range is expanding.
Conservation:
NCGR:
Management Needs:
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 382 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 27, 2020
Submitted by: j.graff98
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2015
Submitted by: Jmaciel
Region: Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 04, 2021
Observation date: May 22, 2014
Submitted by: a-o
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 04, 2021
Observation date: Jun 09, 2020
Submitted by: mitkin26
Region: Chittenden County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 29, 2020
Observation date: Jul 08, 2018
Submitted by: Peter McCarty
Region: Tolland County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 26, 2020
Observation date: Jun 17, 2016
Submitted by: EeyoreWG
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 23, 2020
Observation date: Jun 13, 2014
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 14, 2020
Observation date: Jul 23, 2017
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 14, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2015
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 14, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Oct 06, 2020
Observation date: Jul 14, 2020
Submitted by: Ilona L.
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: Ilona L.
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: Ilona L.
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 19, 2020
Observation date: Aug 09, 2020
Submitted by: tozjohn
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: dawittrock2231
Region: Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 12, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 11, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 11, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 11, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: anne.spivey
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 08, 2020
Observation date: Jul 25, 2020
Submitted by: Betsy Higgins
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: Chris Blomme
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Jul 09, 2020
Submitted by: Baggiobatworld
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 31, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2020
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 31, 2020
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: Don Marotte
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 31, 2020
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