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
Taxonomy Notes: Formerly referred to by a derogatory common name of "gypsy moth," which was removed from the Entomological Society of America's Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List in July 2021.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 440 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 26, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 25, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 25, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 24, 2021
Observation date: Jul 22, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Cortland County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Cortland County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2021
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 18, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2021
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 08, 2021
Submitted by: fxbip
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 17, 2021
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