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:
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 25 - 48 of 571 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 16, 2016
Submitted by: Sheeplecat
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Aug 08, 2022
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 19, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: Blueveil7
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2022
Submitted by: Mkrautmann
Region: Van Buren County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Hancock County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 26, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 08, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Bombyx-Aurelia
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: mysorekid
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: mysorekid
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 26, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: JMJaskula
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2022
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2022
Submitted by: Pshifley
Region: Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: robpendergast
Region: Portage County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2022
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