Gypsy Moth Scientific Name: Lymantria dispar Although very
common in the United States, the Gypsy moth—one of the most
damaging insects to our forests—actually originated in Europe
and Asia and was brought to America by a French scientist. When
the species was accidentally released in the late 1800’s, few
people could have imagined the results. The Gypsy moth is fairly
nondescript and doesn’t look like it could cause much harm, but
every year millions of dollars are lost as Gypsy moths do
unparalleled damage to economically important forests (primarily
oak trees.) Ironically, the adult Gypsy moth does not do the
principle damage to the forestry, but rather it is the
larvae/caterpillar that is causing the irrevocable defoliation.
Best Moth Control Products Gypsy Moth Life Cycle Because such a
large amount of the Gypsy moth’s life is spent as larvae, it is
important to understand the different stages of life and how
these stages can make the species very dangerous, economically
and environmentally. - Early Repr