Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758)Non-native  -  Invasive    Synonyms: Gypsy Moth, Hodges #8318, LD Moth, Lymantria dispar dispar.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Lepidoptera   >   Family Erebidae   >   Genus Lymantria   

Status:

Introduced from Eurasia around 1869 and rapidly spreading. A significant threat to hardwoods.

"Etienne Leopold Trouvelot, an amateur entomologist, brought Gypsy Moths into the United States to see if they could be successfully reared for silk culture. Around 1869 some of Trouvelot's charges escaped from his home near Boston. Realizing the potential magnitude of the problem, he reported the escape but no action was taken until the infestation grew serious several years later." (BugGuide.net)

Relationships:

Host plants include over 500 plant species including Blue Huckleberry (Database of World's Lepidopteran Host Plants).

There are 189 records in the project database.

View images at BugGuide

View in Moth Photographers Group

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GA AL WA FR CL MO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CVCHSMKEQACN TA DO WI SOWO 
A Spongy Moth in Cecil Co., Maryland (7/11/2015). Verified by Roger Downer/BAMONA. Photo by Shannon Schade. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Harford Co., Maryland (7/14/2018). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Washington Co., Maryland (7/9/2020). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A male Spongy Moth in Allegany Co., Maryland (7/21/2015). Photo by Kimberly Booth. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Harford Co., Maryland (7/2/2014). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/12/2014). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Washington Co., Maryland (7/16/2021). (c) Mark Etheridge, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/12/2014). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/14/2013). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/14/2013). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/14/2013). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Washington Co., Maryland (7/18/2017). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/19/2021). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Washington Co., Maryland (7/1/2022). (c) Mark Etheridge, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A female Spongy Moth in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/22/2014). Photo by Matt Tillett. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth in Washington Co., Maryland (7/10/2019). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Garrett Co., Maryland (8/19/2019). (c) Bill Blauvelt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Bill Blauvelt via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A male Spongy Moth in Prince George's Co., Maryland. Photo by Bob Patterson. (MBP list)

A male Spongy Moth in Howard Co., Maryland (7//2002). Photo by Larry Line. (MBP list)

A male Spongy Moth in Howard Co., Maryland (7/9/2003). Photo by Larry Line. (MBP list)

A male Spongy Moth collected in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/21/2001). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Adult Spongy Moth with egg mass in Allegany Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Kyle Klotz, all rights reserved. Photo by Kyle Klotz. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Frederick Co., Maryland (7/27/2016). (c) Allen Dupre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Allen Dupre via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth caterpillar in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/12/2019). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth egg mass in Washington Co., Maryland (2/22/2020). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth caterpillar in Worcester Co., Maryland (5/30/2014). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/16/2018). (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Judy Gallagher. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Allegany Co., Maryland (3/5/2022). (c) smuller, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth eggs in Dorchester Co., Maryland (2/16/2020). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Garrett Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Josh Emm, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth caterpillar in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/11/2006). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth caterpillar in Worcester Co., Maryland (6/4/2013). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

A male Spongy Moth collected in a baited trap in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/25/2018). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth caterpillar in Garrett Co., Maryland (6/22/2019). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth cocoons in Howard Co., Maryland (2/21/2018). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth egg mass in Prince George's Co., Maryland (7/17/2015). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth egg mass in Howard Co., Maryland (7/25/2014). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth egg mass in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/17/2015). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth pupae & egg mass in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/30/2007). Photo by Janice Browne. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth caterpillar in Allegany Co., Maryland (5/31/2021). Verified by J. Wiley Rains/BAMONA. Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth pupa in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/4/2014). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth pupa in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/4/2014). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

A Spongy Moth egg mass in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/13/2019). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

Spongy Moth in Washington Co., Maryland (11/25/2018). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.

MBP marks as "Invasive" any taxon listed in the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC) list of Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland. You can read their criteria and review the lists here: https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/.