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Species
Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758)
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Adult male gypsy moths are light brown with dark brown wings, which have a series of black bands down their lengths. Male antennae are feathery in texture and appearance. Adult females are slightly larger than males and are mostly white, also with a few dark bands on the wings. Female bodies are covered with tiny hairs and their antennae are thread-like in texture and appearance. Gypsy moths are 15 to 35 mm long on average, with a wingspan of 37 to 62 mm. There are three subspecies, which are European, Asian, and Japanese. Although all three are similar in appearance, Asian gypsy moths tend to have the largest larvae.
Newly hatched larvae are black, hairy caterpillars, and as they age, they grow two rows of blue, then red, spots on their backs. Each spot has a patch of yellow or brown hair growing out of it. Legs of larvae are dark red.
Range length: 15 to 35 mm.
Range wingspan: 37 to 62 mm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger; sexes colored or patterned differently
- United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. Gypsy Moth. 2. Washington, D.C.: Integrated Pest Management Manual. 2009.
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Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Lymantria_dispar/ |
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There are 193 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.
Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
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All stages are very easily recognized. There are probably hundreds of useful pamphlets etc. easily available from the U.S. Forest Service, state agencies or county extension agents in regions where gypsy moth is a concern, as well as websites. The Field Guide to Moths (Covell, 1984) also has good illustrations of adults and larvae. Given the extensive information available, identification should never be a problem.
The details of the markings are very diagnostic: the combination of blue thoracic and red abdominal dots is distinctive to the gypsy moth larva at least in North America. Also note that the head of late instar gypsy moth larvae is contrastingly paler than the body, with very prominent hair tufts immediately behind it. Head markings on older larvae are unique. No stage of the gypsy moth is similar to any other North American moth. There are of course other dark hairy caterpillars, but all differ greatly in details. The appearance of both sexes of the adults is unmistakable. No other such large egg masses have the dense fuzzy covering, although the much smaller egg masses of some tussock moths that (unlike gypsy moth eggs) are laid on the female's cocoon (usually on an old leaf), may have some hair.
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Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Lymantria+dispar |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 32
Specimens with Barcodes: 223
Species With Barcodes: 1
Gypsy moths are not endangered, vulnerable, or threatened. In fact, they are such major pests that there are extensive efforts to eradicate populations from parts of North America. Programs have been created to trap adults and larvae, destroy egg masses, and apply insecticides to locations where the moths are major defoliators.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Lymantria_dispar/ |
Gypsy moths are terrestrial animals that are only found in temperate forests or wooded areas (natural or artificial) in which their primary hosts comprise more than 20 percent of the total area.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban
- McManus, M., N. Schneeberger, R. Reardon, G. Mason. 1989. Forest Insect and Disease: Gypsy Moth. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Lymantria_dispar/ |
Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable
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Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Lymantria+dispar |
Comments: Almost any natural or artificial situation with woody vegetation and a temperate climate can support gypsy moths, but outbreaks rarely occur except in forests where oaks (or other favorite food plants) comprise at least 15 to 25% of the stand (Nichols, 1980), usually higher. Forests comprised of over 50% oaks are especially susceptible to defoliation. The 1995 FEIS regards oak-hickory and oak-pine forest types as the most vulnerable and northern hardwoods as essentially the only immune type in most of the USA. Spruce-fir forests and others that are nearly pure conifers are also immune to the currently established European strain but the Asian gypsy moth is better adapted to conifers. Some immune types such as northern hardwoods support persistent populations but not outbreaks. Oak forests in New England, Pennsylvania and elsewhere were often nearly 100% defoliated for at least one season during the course of each gypsy moth population cycle in the mid and late 20th century and in some cases going back 100 years. In general, the degree of defoliation in peak years is directly correlated with the percentage of oaks and other highly favored species in a stand. Some good early discussions include Gerardi and Grimm (1979) and Mason, and Hicks and Fosbroke, both in Fosbroke and Hicks (1987) but usually the information in the 1995 FEIS or below should suffice. The larvae can feed on over 500 species of plants but avoid most herbs. While one sees statements to the contrary, there are many plant species including trees and shrubs that gypsy moth larvae never or rarely eat. Private operators commonly spray trees for gypsy moth control which the larvae do not normally, or never (e.g. tulip tree), eat.
The following is a summary of the suitability of common trees and shrubs based mostly on the 1995 FEIS, Nichols (1980) and observations by this author (Dale Schweitzer). In general oaks are the most important food plants, with white oaks slightly favored. Other highly favored species include mockernut hickory (Schweitzer), aspens, willows, some birches, basswood, Malus spp., most hawthorns and witch hazel. These will probably be severely defoliated if oaks are. Others that are readily eaten at least by older larvae when they are growing with oaks include beech, sweetgum, most hickories, hemlocks, and blueberries. These and some others like red and sugar maples, white pine, or rarely flowering dogwood may be defoliated in severe outbreaks when growing with oaks. First instars strongly avoid it but older larvae sometimes defoliate sweetgum. Some forest species that will not be defoliated even in severe outbreaks include true ashes, tulip tree, sycamore, magnolias, persimmons, cedars, balsam firs, bald cypress, Lonicera spp., redbud, mountain laurel, some clones of poison ivy. Most, but not all, of these are completely avoided even by starving last instars but the 1995 FEIS Appendix G pages 2-4 suggests some of these may be eaten in extreme circumstances. Black huckleberry at least usually escapes heavy damage.
Appendix D of the 1995 FEIS ranks hundreds of species as susceptible, resistant or immune. Coverage is weak for Ericaceae and some other understory groups but very thorough for trees. Carya ovata and Pinus rigida should be changed from immune to resistant like their congeners. Various sources including the 1995 FEIS Appendix G note defoliation and sometimes mortality of hickories. C. ovata growing with oaks were severely defoliated widely in New Haven County, Connecticut in June 1981. Ridgetop P. rigida can be killed (Schweitzer, pers. obs.; Quimby, 1985). In most other situations though pitch pine is at low risk, e.g., in sandy coastal pinelands. White pine is much more often defoliated than other pines.
So while virtually any kind of woodland, shaded park, backyard, or forest is potential gypsy moth habitat, not all such habitats are at risk for outbreaks. In general risk of heavy defoliation is high in wooded area composed of 50% or more oaks or other highly favored trees. It is in these habitats where gypsy moth outbreaks and efforts to control them are most likely to be potential long-term ecological concerns to biodiversity-oriented managers.
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Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Lymantria+dispar |