Lymantria dispar, also known as the gypsy moth Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar at UK Moths or the spongy moth, is a species of Lepidoptera in the family Erebidae native to Europe and Asia. Lymantria dispar is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as L. d. dispar and L. d. japonica being clearly identifiable without ambiguity. Lymantria dispar has been introduced to several continents and is now additionally found as an invasive species in Africa, North America and South America. The polyphagous larvae live on a variety of deciduous and Pinophyta treesftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/i0640e/i0640e10.pdf and can cause severe damage in years of mass reproduction. Due to these features, Lymantria dispar is listed among the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.
Moths of the subfamily Lymantriinae are commonly called due to the tussock-like tufts of hair on the .The Gypsy Moth: Research Toward Integrated Pest Management, United States Department of Agriculture, 1981
The name Lymantria dispar is composed of two Latin-derived words. The genus name Lymantria means 'destroyer'. Free Dictionary for Lymantria The species epithet dispar means 'to separate' in Latin; it refers to the sexual dimorphism observed in the male and female imago.
In July 2021 the Entomological Society of America decided to remove the name "gypsy moth" from its Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List as "hurtful to the Romani people", since gypsy is considered an ethnic slur by some Romany people in North America. In January 2022, the new common name "spongy moth" was proposed, as a translation from the French name "spongieuse" for the species, referring to the sponge-like egg masses laid by L. dispar. Since the name Gypsy is widely embraced by Roma people as a self-referenced demonym in Europe, there has been no similar call to change the insect's name in its native area.
The European subspecies ( Lymantria dispar dispar) is native to temperate forests in western Europe. It had been introduced to the United States in 1869, and to Canada in 1912.
The Asian subspecies ( Lymantria dispar asiatica) is native to temperate Asia east of the Ural mountains. Since the early 1990s it has also been detected along the West Coast of temperate North America. From Southern Europe it is spreading northwards into Germany and other countries, where it hybridizes with the European subspecies, L. d. dispar. A colony had been reported from Great Britain in 1995.
Since the introduction of the species to North America, L. dispar has caused significant ecological damage. Its range has expanded at an average rate of per year, resulting in the cumulative defoliation of of forest from 1970 to 2013. The U.S. Forest Service allocates an average annual budget of $30 million toward control efforts. However, climate change has contributed to longer outbreak cycles, which typically occur every eight to twelve years. This has led to a more frequent and severe impact on the environment.
Defoliation by L. dispar triggers chemical defenses in quaking aspen, rendering them unfit host trees for , posing an additional threat to that species' conservation.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Females winged but flightless Females winged and capable of flight; attracted to lights Large males, very dark brown
Biological pest control measures
Status in the United States
External links
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