National Moth Week is July 18-26!
Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.
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.
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 121 - 144 of 624 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 07, 2017
Submitted by: Ayatana Artists
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2017
Submitted by: AllieAllbritton
Region: Berrien County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2016
Submitted by: Hannachip4see
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2016
Submitted by: Jerry Van Den Berg
Region: Ottawa County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2017
Submitted by: JEANH
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 27, 2020
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Roscommon County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2017
Submitted by: Suemueller
Region: Delta County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 24, 2017
Submitted by: rlhowell
Region: Ionia County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2017
Submitted by: Michellemcdonal...
Region: Kent County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 11, 2016
Submitted by: joyceannleppard...
Region: Barry County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 20, 2009
Submitted by: Ilse Gebhard
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: Scotiaspinner
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jan 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2013
Submitted by: nickenew
Region: Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 03, 2013
Submitted by: pattiep9
Region: Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2019
Submitted by: Caulderca
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2019
Submitted by: mikef
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 20, 2018
Submitted by: moxleycrew
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2018
Submitted by: juliereid
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: curious123
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 11, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2020
Submitted by: mjohngalea
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 11, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2015
Submitted by: sh11
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 08, 2022
Observation date: Jun 01, 2021
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Iosco County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: Todd Fischer
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: Baggiobat
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
- ‹ previous
- 6 of 26
- next ›