| Lymantria dispar | |
|---|---|
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| MountedLymantria dispar dispar male | |
_Female_Dos.jpg) | |
| MountedLymantria dispar dispar female | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Genus: | Lymantria |
| Species: | L. dispar |
| Binomial name | |
| Lymantria dispar | |
| Subspecies | |
| Synonyms | |
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Lymantria dispar, also known as thegypsy moth[1][2] or thespongy moth,[3][4] is a species ofmoth in the familyErebidae native toEurope andAsia.Lymantria dispar is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such asL. d. dispar andL. d. japonica being clearly identifiable without ambiguity.Lymantria dispar has been introduced to several continents and is now additionally found as aninvasive species inAfrica,North America andSouth America. Thepolyphagous larvae live on a variety ofdeciduous andconiferous trees[5] and can cause severe damage in years of mass reproduction. Due to these features,Lymantria dispar is listed among theworld's 100 worst invasive alien species.[6]
The etymology of "gypsy moth" is not conclusively known; however, the term is known to have been in use (as 'Gipsey') as early as 1832.[7]
Moths of thesubfamilyLymantriinae are commonly calledtussock moths due to the tussock-like tufts of hair on thecaterpillars.[8]: 9
The nameLymantria dispar is composed of two Latin-derived words. Thegeneric nameLymantria means 'destroyer'.[9] Thespecies epithetdispar means 'to separate' in Latin; it refers to thesexual dimorphism observed in the male and femaleimagines.[8]: 9
In July 2021 theEntomological Society of America decided to remove the name "gypsy moth" from its Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List as "hurtful to theRomani people", sincegypsy is considered anethnic slur by some Romany people in North America.[10][11] 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 byL. dispar.[3] Since the name Gypsy is widely embraced by Roma people as a self-referenced demonym in Europe,[12] there has been no similar call to change the insect's name in its native area.
The European native, and introduced North American,Lymantria dispar moths are considered to be the same subspecies,Lymantria dispar dispar.[13]: 6 Confusion over the classification of species and subspecies exists. The U. S. Department of Agriculture defines the Asian subspecies as "any biotype ofL. dispar possessing female flight capability",[13]: 5 despiteL. d. asiatica not being the only accepted subspecies that is capable of flight.[13]: 6 Traditionally,L. dispar has been referred to as "gypsy moth" even when referring to Japanese, Indian and Asiatic populations.[13]: 5
| Subspecies | Distribution | Identifying characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Lymantria dispar dispar | Europe, western Asia and north Africa,[13]: 6 introduced to Eastern North America | Females winged but flightless[13]: 6 |
| Lymantria dispar asiatica | Eastern Asia,[13]: 6 introduced to western North America and to Europe[14] | Females winged and capable of flight; attracted to lights[13]: 6 |
| Lymantria dispar japonica | All of Japan[13]: 6 | Large males, very dark brown[13]: 6 |
The European subspecies (Lymantria dispar dispar) is native to temperate forests in westernEurope. It had been introduced to theUnited States in 1869, and toCanada 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. FromSouthern Europe it is spreading northwards intoGermany and other countries, where it hybridizes with the European subspecies,L. d. dispar.[citation needed] A colony had been reported fromGreat Britain in 1995.[citation needed]
Lymantria dispar was introduced into North America by artist and astronomerÉtienne Léopold Trouvelot in 1869, who imported it from Europe while looking for a source of silk to replace the shortage of cotton caused by the American Civil War.[15] Since then, several species ofparasitoids andpredators have been introduced asbiological control agents in attempts to help control this moth. Beginning in the late 1800s, at least ten species were established this way, but for nearly a century, there was little regulation or research on the effectiveness or non-target effects of these introduced natural enemies. Several were generalists that offered little control ofL. dispar and attacked other native insects. One such species is thetachinid flyCompsilura concinnata, which attacked many other host species (over 180 known hosts documented), laying waste many of the large moth species previously abundant in the Northeast.[16] Another is theencyrtid waspOoencyrtus kuvanae which attacksL. dispar eggs but also parasitizes the eggs of otherLepidoptera species.[17][18] The most effective control agents are microbial pathogens: a virus (LdmNPV), and a fungus (Entomophaga maimaiga).[19]
In June 2024, the severity of the outbreak in theNortheast andMidwest of the United States was reported inScientific American. Some places in these regions were experiencing one of the most severe outbreaks ever recorded, with some areas reporting densities exceeding 2,500,000 caterpillars per hectare (1,000,000 per acre), and certain regions have been grappling with this issue for five consecutive years.[citation needed]
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 21 km (13 mi) per year, resulting in the cumulative defoliation of 33,000,000 ha (82,000,000 acres) 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.[20]
Defoliation byL. dispar triggers chemical defenses inquaking aspen, rendering them unfit host trees forPolyphemus moths, posing an additional threat to that species' conservation.[21]
Media related toLymantria dispar at Wikimedia Commons
