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 145 - 168 of 628 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jun 04, 2021
Submitted by: Kjdmad
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2019
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2020
Submitted by: GeorgiaM
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2020
Submitted by: Kwmill
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2019
Submitted by: Reiner Jakubowski
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2020
Submitted by: lalondesa
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2020
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 14, 2021
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Oscoda County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 06, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2015
Submitted by: sh11
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 06, 2022
Observation date: May 29, 2019
Submitted by: PAUL FINBOW
Region: Passaic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 11, 2015
Submitted by: lauryld
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Jun 29, 2015
Submitted by: kmarciniec
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2017
Submitted by: sunny12502
Region: Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 27, 2014
Submitted by: mrcnaturally
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Nov 21, 2021
Observation date: Jun 28, 2014
Submitted by: koolkatstorm
Region: Cattaraugus County, New York, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Nov 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: Windsor
Region: Cortland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 21, 2021
Observation date: Jun 08, 2018
Submitted by: Jlmergler
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 21, 2021
Observation date: Jun 24, 2021
Submitted by: getherington
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 16, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2020
Submitted by: iooby
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2016
Submitted by: Griff2
Region: New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 12, 2021
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