gypsy moth
Invasive tree-eater
A gypsy moth is a destructive insect pest whose caterpillars defoliate deciduous trees, particularly oaks.
Native to Europe and Asia, it was introduced to North America in the 1860s and has caused widespread forest damage.
The name comes from the species' tendency to spread by attaching egg masses to vehicles and cargo.
Now often called spongy moth to avoid the ethnic slur.
Not indigenous here
- spreadTo distribute widely
- introductionPreliminary section or presentation
- exoticStrikingly unusual, foreign-seeming
- quarantineIsolation preventing disease transmission
eradication · infestation · invasive species · Massachusetts · 1869 · establishment · hitchhiker
Immature feeding stage
- caterpillarMoth or butterfly young
- pupaInsect's resting stage
- egg massBundled reproductive cells
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
instar · molt · cocoon · hatching · overwinter · emergence · larval stage · flightless
Larval moths or butterflies
- leaflessHaving no foliage
- treesWoody plants with trunks
- forest damageInjury to woodland ecosystems
- canopyOverhead protective covering
deciduous · woodland · oak · foliage · stripping · regrowth · hardwood
Agent destroying harmful organisms
- sprayingDispersing liquid as mist
- biological controlPest suppression via natural enemies
- natural enemiesOrganisms that instinctively oppose
- predatorsAnimals that kill prey
non-native
Not indigenous here
- spreadTo distribute widely
- introductionPreliminary section or presentation
- exoticStrikingly unusual, foreign-seeming
quarantine · eradication · infestation · invasive species · Massachusetts · 1869 · establishment · hitchhiker
larva
Immature feeding stage
- caterpillarMoth or butterfly young
- pupaInsect's resting stage
- egg massBundled reproductive cells
metamorphosis · instar · molt · cocoon · hatching · overwinter · emergence · larval stage · flightless · mating
caterpillars
Larval moths or butterflies
- leaflessHaving no foliage
- treesWoody plants with trunks
- forest damageInjury to woodland ecosystems
canopy · deciduous · woodland · oak · foliage · stripping · regrowth · hardwood
pesticide
Agent destroying harmful organisms
- sprayingDispersing liquid as mist
- biological controlPest suppression via natural enemies
- natural enemiesOrganisms that instinctively oppose
- insectsant, ants, bee, bees, butterfly
- farm pestsaphid, aphids, armyworm, boll weevil, corn borer
- leaf eaterskoala, caterpillar, leaf insect, leafcutter ant, silkworm
- pestsants, ant, bugs, cockroach, cockroaches
- Lepidopterabutterflies, moths, monarch, cocoons, chrysalis
- Invasive Pestsemerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, Asian giant hornet, fire ant, Japanese beetle
gypsy mothhoneybee
Nectar-gathering social insect
beneficial insect · pollinator · ladybug · praying mantis · earthworm
gypsy mothnative species
Organisms originating in a region
butterfly · monarch butterfly · luna moth · painted lady · swallowtail