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Lymantria dispar

(Gypsy Moth)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Gypsy Moth

Description

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Family Lymantriidae

'The Tussock Moths are medium-sized moths, with wings that are most often brownish to grayish or white. They are often forest pests. Females are typically larger than males, and in some species the females'' wings are reduced to nubs or are nonfunctional. Both sexes have bipectinate antennae, and adult wingspan is 1.5-6.7 cm. Larvae are typically very hairy and usually have two anterior and two to three posterior long hair tufts. Stinging hairs are present in some species, such as the Browntail Moth. Larvae feed on foliage of many trees and shrubs but usually not on herbaceous plants . The Gypsy Moth is the most important of these forest pests in eastern North America.

'[1]

Physical Description

Species Lymantria dispar

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. (ref. 109036)

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 3-4 cm in males; 5.6-6.7 cm in females. (ref. 109036)

Habitat

Forests . (ref. 109036)

Biology

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Diet

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. (ref. 109036)

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Lymantria

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 10 species and subspecies in this genus:

L. antennata (Tussock Moth) · L. diehli (Asian Gypsy Moth) · L. dispar (Gypsy Moth) · L. dispar MNPV (Lymantria Dispar MNPV) · L. lunata (Luna Gypsy Moth) · L. mathura (Rosy Gypsy Moth) · L. monacha (Nun Moth) · L. nephrographa (Tussock Moth) · L. pelospila (Tussock Moth) · L. xylina (Casuarina Moth)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=87&sci=Lymantriidae&com=Tussock Moths [back]
Last Revised: 2012-07-28