Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Lymantria Members: 10 NC Records

Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758) - Spongy Moth

Lymantria disparLymantria dispar
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Lymantriinae		Tribe:
Lymantriini		P3 Number:
930141		 MONA Number:
8318.00		 Other Common Name:
Gypsy Moth
Species Status: This species was previously referred to as the Gypsy Moth, but Spongy Moth is now the more accepted name.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Ferguson (1978)                                                                                 
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Lymantria disparAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are widely polyphagous on trees and shrubs, with hundreds of documented hosts. They have become a destructive invasive species since their introduction in the Northeastern United States, defoliating millions of acres of forest. Fortunately, North Carolina has largely been spared their destruction, partly due to efforts to halt their advance from the north and stamp out accidental introductions on the coast. Click the View link to see the more than 100 native trees that might serve as potential hosts if L. dispar becomes established in our state. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNA SNR [SNA]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Lymantria dispar - Spongy Moth

Photos: 2
Lymantria disparRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-20
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Lymantria disparRecorded by: Steve Hall on 2007-10-10
Onslow Co.
Comment: Egg mass photographed on the trunk of a Live Oak.