FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2023-11 

August 8, 2023 

Subject: APHIS Adds Lake and Whitley Counties, Indiana to the Spongy Moth (Lymantria 

dispar) Quarantine Area

To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is adding Lake 

and Whitley Counties in Indiana to the list of quarantine areas for spongy moth (formerly known 

as gypsy moth1). The moth populations in these counties have reached the threshold to trigger the 

quarantine expansion. 

To prevent further spread of spongy moth, the attached Federal Order provides notification that 

APHIS is adding Lake and Whitley Counties in Indiana to the regulated area. Effective 

immediately, all interstate movement of regulated articles from Lake and Whitley Counties must 

be handled in accordance with 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 301.45. Indiana has 

established a parallel state quarantine.

Spongy Moth is a highly destructive insect of approximately 300 species of trees and shrubs. The 

Spongy Moth Program prescribes conditions for the interstate movement of regulated articles

from quarantine areas. The federal and state partnership limits the establishment of the moth

outside the quarantine area that would result from human-assisted movement of the pest. We 

appreciate the cooperative relationship with Indiana in the effort to limit the spread of spongy 

moth. 

The full lists designating spongy moth quarantine areas and regulated articles are published on 

the APHIS website at: 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pestsand-diseases/sa_insects/spongy-moth/

For more information about the Spongy Moth Program and Federal spongy moth regulations, 

please contact National Policy Manager, Kathryn Bronsky, at kathryn.e.bronsky@usda.gov or 

(301) 851-2147.

Dr. Mark L Davidson 

Deputy Administrator 

Plant Protection and Quarantine 

Attachment: Federal Order

1

APHIS Announces New Common Names for Regulated Lymantria Moths
FEDERAL ORDER

APHIS Adds Lake and Whitley Counties, Indiana to Spongy Moth 

(Lymantria dispar) Quarantine Area

DA-2023-11 

 August 8, 2023 

This Federal Order lists the expanded quarantine area for spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy 

moth) to include Lake and Whitley Counties, Indiana. 

This Federal Order is issued in accordance with the regulatory authority provided by the Plant

Protection Act of June 20, 2000, as amended, Section 412(a), 7 U.S.C. 7712(a). The Act

authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit or restrict the movement in interstate 

commerce of any plant, plant part, or article, if the Secretary determines the prohibition or 

restriction is necessary to prevent the dissemination of a plant pest within the United States. This 

Federal Order is also issued pursuant to the regulations implemented under the Plant Protection

Act found at 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 301.45. 

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) adds Lake and 

Whitley Counties in Indiana to the quarantine areas for spongy moth. The spongy moth 

populations in Lake and Whitley Counties have reached the threshold to trigger the regulated 

area. Accordingly, the APHIS Administrator finds it necessary to quarantine these counties to 

prevent the spread of spongy moth. All interstate movement of spongy moth-regulated articles 

from Lake and Whitley Counties must be done in accordance with the regulations implemented

pursuant to the Plant Protection Act found at 7 CFR § 301.45 et seq. and any applicable 

provisions of this Federal Order. 

APHIS confirmed spongy moth infestations in various areas of the United States, for which the 

Administrator has determined that quarantine areas are necessary to prevent the spread of the 

moth. The full list of quarantine areas due to the continuing spread of spongy moth are 

designated at:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pestsand-diseases/sa_insects/spongy-moth/

7 CFR § 301.45-2(a) allows the designation of less than an entire state as a spongy moth 

quarantine area only when the APHIS Administrator has determined, as in this case, that the 

designation of less than an entire state as a quarantined-spongy moth area is adequate to prevent 

the interstate spread of infestations. In addition, 7 CFR § 301.45-2(b) requires that the state 

enforce an intrastate spongy moth quarantine equivalent to the federal regulations. The state 

plant regulatory official for Indiana confirmed the establishment of an intrastate quarantine for 

the regulated area that mirrors the Federal Regulatory requirements as specified in 7 CFR § 

301.45. 
7 CFR § 301.45-2(c) provides the temporary designation of new quarantined areas to be added to 

the list on the APHIS website at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plantpest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/sa_insects/spongy-moth/. 7 CFR § 301.45-2(c) 

further requires written notification to the owner or person who possesses a newly quarantined 

area. This is the responsibility of the federal and/or state regulatory personnel responsible for the 

spongy moth program in the affected state.

For more details on the Spongy Moth Program and Federal spongy moth regulations, please 

contact National Policy Manager, Kathryn Bronsky, at kathryn.e.bronsky@usda.gov or (301) 

851-2147. For information on regulatory requirements for the movement of articles out of

quarantined areas in Indiana, please call Indiana State Plant Health Director, Jason Allen at (765)

413-2551.

We continue to appreciate the cooperative relationship with Indiana in our effort to prevent the 

spread of spongy moth.