Lymantria dispar

***Lymantria dispar***, renamed **spongy moth** in 2022, formerly **gypsy moth**, is a species of moth in the Erebidae family. It has subspecies, for example _L. d. dispar_ and _L. d. japonica_. _Lymantria dispar_ has become an introduced species. It is from Europe, Africa, and Asia, but humans brought it to North America and South America by accident. The larvae (caterpillars) can eat the leaves off broad-leaved and the needles off pine-like trees. The catarpillars can damage trees and forests badly. _Lymantria dispar_ is listed among the world's 100 most invasive alien species.

## Etymology

Scientists call moths in the subfamily Lymantriinae "tussock moths" because of the tufts of hair on the caterpillars.

The name _Lymantria dispar_ has composed of two words that both come from Latin. The genusc name _Lymantria_ means "destroyer." The species epithet _dispar_ means "to separate" in Latin; it refers to the large differences between the male and female adult moths. In some subspecies, the adult male can fly and the adult female cannot.

In July 2021 the Entomological Society of America, a group of scientists who study insects and other animals with skeletons on the inside decided to remove the name "gypsy moth" from its Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List because it is "hurtful to the Romani people." The Society looked at more than 200 names.  They chose the new common name "spongy moth" because it matches names for the species in other languages. For example, in French, it is "spongieuse." The moth makes a sponge-like substance to put its eggs in. The Society agreed to use the name in February.  Every person on the committee voted yes.

## Taxonomy

Scientists say the North American and European _Lymantria dispar_ moths are the same subspecies, _Lymantria dispar dispar_. But not all scienitsts agree. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the Asian subspecies is any kind of _L. dispar_ in which the female adult can fly despite _L. d. asiatica_ not being the only accepted subspecies that is capable of flight. Traditionally, _L. dispar_ has been referred to as "gypsy moth" even when referring to Japanese, Indian and Asiatic spongy moth populations.

## Subspecies

|Common name|Subspecies|Distribution|Identifying characteristics|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|European spongy moth|_Lymantria dispar dispar_|Europe, western Asia and north Africa, introduced to Eastern North America|Females winged but flightless|
|Asian spongy moth|_Lymantria dispar asiatica_|Eastern Asia, introduced to western North America|Females winged and capable of flight; attracted to lights|
|Japanese spongy moth|_Lymantria dispar japonica_|All of Japan|Large males, very dark brown color|

The European subspecies (_Lymantria dispar dispar_) is native to forests in western Europe. It was introduced to the United States in 1869 and to Canada in 1912.

The Asian subspecies (_Lymantria dispar asiatica_) is native to Asia east of the Ural mountains. Since the early 1990s it has also reached the West Coast of North America. From southern Europe it is spreading north into Germany and other countries, where it mates with the European spongy moth, _L. d. dispar_. Someone found a colony of these animals in Great Britain in 1995.

## Pest control measures

In North America, the parasitoid encyrtid wasp _Ooencyrtus kuvanae_ was introduced to kill the spongy moth. However, the wasp also attacks the eggs of other Lepidoptera species.

## Other websites

- Spongy moth on UKmoths
- Bugguide.net
- Species Profile: European Gypsy Moth (_Lymantria dispar_) from the National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library