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 326 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 23, 2019
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 06, 2019
Observation date: Aug 10, 2019
Submitted by: John Ray Harrington
Region: Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 13, 2019
Observation date: Jun 07, 2015
Submitted by: hmsvenson
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 09, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: arthurgoldsmith
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 02, 2019
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: Asclepias
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 20, 2019
Observation date: Aug 17, 2019
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 17, 2019
Observation date: Aug 03, 2019
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Portage County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 16, 2019
Observation date: Aug 14, 2019
Submitted by: Sunrisegardener
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 15, 2019
Observation date: Aug 14, 2019
Submitted by: Sheri.paton
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 14, 2019
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: plawryniuk
Region: Augusta County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 12, 2019
Observation date: Jun 13, 2016
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 11, 2019
Observation date: Aug 07, 2019
Submitted by: Joanne Hutchinson
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 08, 2019
Observation date: Aug 03, 2019
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 04, 2019
Observation date: Aug 01, 2019
Submitted by: billmac
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 04, 2019
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 01, 2019
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 01, 2019
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: cskipper
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 30, 2019
Observation date: Jun 30, 2019
Submitted by: purplechickadee
Region: Passaic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2019
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 25, 2019
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 25, 2019
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 25, 2019
Observation date: Jul 22, 2019
Submitted by: Splendens
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2019
Observation date: Jul 21, 2019
Submitted by: monikawood
Region: Ontario County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 21, 2019
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: GeorgiaM
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 21, 2019
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