Lymantria dispar dispar | |
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Adult female | |
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Adult male | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
Family: | Erebidae |
Genus: | Lymantria |
Species: | |
Subspecies: | L. d. dispar
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Trinomial name | |
Lymantria dispar dispar |
Lymantria dispar dispar, commonly known as the gypsy moth,[1] European gypsy moth, LDD moth, or (in North America) North American gypsy moth or spongy moth,[2] is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It has a native range that extends over Europe and parts of Africa, and is an invasive species in North America.
Its larvae are polyphagous, consuming the leaves of over 500 species of trees, shrubs and plants. In its invasive range it is classified as a pest, notably one of the most destructive pests of hardwood trees in the Eastern United States. It is listed as one of the 100 most destructive invasive species worldwide.[3]