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Spongy Moth


Lymantria dispar adults
Lymantria dispar adults. Male (bottom right) and female (left) Asian Lymantria dispar shown for comparison. Courtesy photo from bugwood.org, by USDA APHIS PPQ.

The Lymantria dispar dispar is a non-native insect established in 19 states, the District of Columbia, and neighboring parts of eastern Canada. Historically it has been the most destructive pest of oak-dominated hardwood forests in the east, and during extended outbreaks can cause mortality of large areas of urban and rural forests. The USDA program to manage Lymantria dispar is a partnership with the Forest Service, APHIS, and state partners, to suppress outbreaks in the generally infested area, eradicate isolated infestations in the uninfested area, and slow the spread along the advancing front.

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