Lymantria dispar

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Lymantria dispar
Lymantria dispar MHNT.CUT.2012.0.357 Col de Cricheto Bastelica male Dos.jpg
Mounted Lymantria dispar dispar male
Lymantria dispar MHNT.CUT.2012.0.357 Claix (Isere) Female Dos.jpg
Mounted Lymantria dispar dispar female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Lymantria
Species:
L. dispar
Binomial name
Lymantria dispar
Subspecies

L. d. dispar
L. d. asiatica
L. d. japonica

Synonyms
  • Phalaena disparLinnaeus, 1758
  • Ocneria dispar(Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Porthetria dispar(Linnaeus, 1758)
A Lymantria dispar caterpillar Lymantria dispar MHNT Chenille.jpg
A Lymantria dispar caterpillar

Lymantria dispar, also known as the gypsy moth [1] [2] or the spongy moth, [3] [4] is a species of moth in the family Erebidae native to Europe and Asia. Lymantria dispar is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as L. d. dispar and L. d. japonica being clearly identifiable without ambiguity. Lymantria dispar has been introduced to several continents and is now additionally found as an invasive species in Africa, North America and South America. The polyphagous larvae live on a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees [5] and can cause severe damage in years of mass reproduction. Due to these features, Lymantria dispar is listed among the world's 100 worst invasive alien species. [6]

Contents

Etymology

The etymology of “gypsy moth” is not conclusively known; however, the term is known to have been in use (as 'Gipsey') as early as 1832. [7]

Moths of the subfamily Lymantriinae are commonly called tussock moths due to the tussock-like tufts of hair on the caterpillars. [8] :9

The name Lymantria dispar is composed of two Latin-derived words. The generic name Lymantria means 'destroyer'. [9] The species epithet dispar means 'to separate' in Latin; it refers to the sexual dimorphism observed in the male and female imagines. [8] :9

In July 2021 the Entomological Society of America decided to remove the name "gypsy moth" from its Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List as "hurtful to the Romani people", since gypsy is considered an ethnic slur by some Romany people in North America. [10] [11] In January 2022, the new common name "spongy moth" was proposed, as a translation from the French name "spongieuse" for the species, referring to the sponge-like egg masses laid by L. dispar. [3] Since the name Gypsy is widely embraced by Roma people as a self-referenced demonym in Europe, [12] there has been no similar call to change the insect's name in its native area.

Taxonomy

The European native, and introduced North American, Lymantria dispar moths are considered to be the same subspecies, Lymantria dispar dispar. [13] :6 Confusion over the classification of species and subspecies exists. The U. S. Department of Agriculture defines the Asian subspecies as "any biotype of L. dispar possessing female flight capability", [13] :5 despite L. d. asiatica not being the only accepted subspecies that is capable of flight. [13] :6 Traditionally, L. dispar has been referred to as "gypsy moth" even when referring to Japanese, Indian and Asiatic populations. [13] :5

Subspecies

SubspeciesDistributionIdentifying characteristics
Lymantria dispar dispar Europe, western Asia and north Africa, [13] :6 introduced to Eastern North AmericaFemales winged but flightless [13] :6
Lymantria dispar asiatica Eastern Asia, [13] :6 introduced to western North America and to Europe [14] Females winged and capable of flight; attracted to lights [13] :6
Lymantria dispar japonica All of Japan [13] :6Large males, very dark brown [13] :6

The European subspecies (Lymantria dispar dispar) is native to temperate forests in western Europe. It had been introduced to the United States in 1869, and to Canada in 1912.

The Asian subspecies (Lymantria dispar asiatica) is native to temperate Asia east of the Ural mountains. Since the early 1990s it has also been detected along the West Coast of temperate North America. From Southern Europe it is spreading northwards into Germany and other countries, where it hybridizes with the European spongy moth, L. d. dispar.[ citation needed ] A colony had been reported from Great Britain in 1995.[ citation needed ]

Biological pest control measures

Lymantria dispar was accidentally introduced into North America by artist and astronomer Étienne Léopold Trouvelot in 1869, who imported it from Europe while looking for a source of silk to replace the shortage of cotton caused by the American Civil War. [15] Afterwards, several species of parasitoids and predators have been introduced as biological control agents in attempts to help control this moth. Beginning in the late 1800s, at least ten species were established this way, but for nearly a century, there was little regulation or research on the effectiveness or non-target effects of these introduced natural enemies. Several were generalists that offered little control of L. dispar and attacked other native insects. One such species is the tachinid fly Compsilura concinnata , which attacked many other host species (over 180 known hosts documented), decimating many of the large moth species previously abundant in the Northeast. [16] Another is the encyrtid wasp Ooencyrtus kuvanae which attacks L. dispar eggs but is not strictly host specific, and also parasitizes the eggs of other Lepidoptera species. [17] [18] The most effective control agents are microbial pathogens: a virus (LdmNPV), and a fungus ( Entomophaga maimaiga ). [19]

Current status in the USA

In June 2024, the severity of the outbreak in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States was reported by Scientific American. These regions were experiencing one of the most severe outbreaks ever recorded, with some areas reporting densities exceeding 2,500,000 caterpillars per hectare (1,000,000 per acre), and certain regions have been grappling with this issue for five consecutive years.

Since its introduction, gypsy moths have caused significant ecological damage. Over the past century, their range has expanded at an average rate of 21 km (13 mi) per year, resulting in the cumulative defoliation of 33,000,000 ha (82,000,000 acres) of forest between 1970 and 2013. The U.S. Forest Service allocates an average annual budget of $30 million toward control efforts. However, climate change has contributed to the prolongation of outbreak cycles, which typically occur every eight to twelve years. This has led to a more frequent and severe impact on the environment. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moth</span> Group of mostly-nocturnal insects in the order Lepidoptera

Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is paraphyletic with respect to butterflies and neither subordinate taxon is used in modern classifications. Moths make up the vast majority of the order. There are approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, although there are also crepuscular and diurnal species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biological pest control</span> Controlling pests using other organisms

Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants by using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also involves an active human management role. It can be an important component of integrated pest management (IPM) programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymantriinae</span> Subfamily of moths

The Lymantriinae are a subfamily of moths of the family Erebidae. The taxon was erected by George Hampson in 1893.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-tail moth</span> Species of moth

The brown-tail moth is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several years duration, have been reported as far back as the 1500s. The life cycle of the moth is atypical, in that it spends approximately nine months as larvae (caterpillars), leaving about one month each for pupae, imagos and eggs. Larvae (caterpillars) are covered in hairs. Two red spots on the back, toward the tail, distinguish these species from other similarly hairy moth larvae. The winged adults have white wings and a hairy white body with a tuft of brown hair at the tip of the abdomen. Females lay one egg cluster, usually on the underside of a leaf of a host plant. The species is polyphagous, meaning that it feeds on many different species of trees, including pear, apple, maple and oak.

<i>Orgyia leucostigma</i> Species of moth

Orgyia leucostigma, the white-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. The caterpillar is very common especially in late summer in eastern North America, extending as far west as Texas, California, and Alberta.

<i>Calosoma sycophanta</i> Species of beetle

Calosoma sycophanta, the forest caterpillar hunter, is a species of ground beetle belonging to the family Carabidae.

<i>Glyptapanteles</i> Genus of wasps

Glyptapanteles is a genus of endoparasitoid wasps found in all continents, except Antarctica. The larvae of Glyptapanteles species are able to manipulate their hosts into serving as bodyguards.

<i>Tachina fera</i> Species of fly

Tachina fera is a species of fly in the genus Tachina of the family Tachinidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761.

<i>Lymantria mathura</i> Species of moth

Lymantria mathura, the rosy gypsy moth, is a species of moth of the family Erebidae found in the Russian Far East, Nepal, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, northern India and China. The species was first described by Frederic Moore in 1866.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gypsy moths in the United States</span> Spread of an invasive species

The gypsy moth, also known as the spongy moth, was introduced in 1868 into the United States by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, a French scientist living in Medford, Massachusetts. Because native silk-spinning caterpillars were susceptible to disease, Trouvelot imported the species in order to breed a more resistant hybrid species. Some of the moths escaped, found suitable habitat, and began breeding. The gypsy moth is now a major pest of hardwood trees in the Eastern United States.

<i>Compsilura concinnata</i> Species of fly

Compsilura concinnata is a parasitoid native to Europe that was introduced to North America in 1906 to control the population of an exotic forest, univoltine, spongy moth named Lymantria dispar. It is an endoparasitoid of larvae and lives with its host for most of its life. Eventually the parasitoid ends up killing the host and occasionally eating it. It attacks over 200 host species, mainly insects from the Orders: Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. Since this parasite has the ability to attack many different types of hosts, the organism has spilled over from the intended forest systems into other areas, like agricultural fields, affecting cabbage pests including the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia); the cabbage worm ; and even other invasive species such as the brown-tail moth. However, it also attacks native, non-pest insects such as the Cecropia moth and American moon moth.

<i>Lymantria dispar asiatica</i> Subspecies of moth

Lymantria dispar asiatica, the LDA moth or Asian spongy moth, also known as the Asian gypsy moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae of Eurasian origin. It is similar to Lymantria dispar dispar in appearance, but adult females can fly. It is classified as a pest and is host to over 500 species of trees, shrubs and plants.

<i>Lymantria dispar dispar</i> Subspecies of moth (gypsy moth)

Lymantria dispar dispar, commonly known as the gypsy moth, European gypsy moth, LDD moth, or North American gypsy moth or spongy moth, 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.

<i>Lymantria dispar japonica</i> Species of moth

Lymantria dispar japonica, also known as the Japanese gypsy moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae of Eurasian origin.

Lymantria dispar multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus or LdMNPV is a viral infection in spongy moths that causes infected larvae to die and disintegrate. Infected larvae climb to the top of a tree and die. The larvae then melt or disintegrate, falling onto the foliage below, where they infect more larvae.

<i>Entomophaga maimaiga</i> Species of fungus

Entomophaga maimaiga is a Japanese fungus which has shown striking success in managing spongy moth populations in North America.

<i>Cotesia</i> Genus of wasps

Cotesia is a genus of braconid wasps first described by Peter Cameron in 1891. Some species parasitize caterpillars of species considered pests, and are used as biocontrol agents. Cotesia congregata parasitizes the tomato and the tobacco hornworms. C. glomerata and C. rubecula feed on the cabbage white and other white butterfly caterpillars. C. gonopterygis and C. risilis are host-specific and parasitize the common brimstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Douglas Tothill</span>

John Douglas Tothill DSc, CMG, was an English-born entomologist, agriculturalist and civil servant, whose career took him to Canada, Fiji, Uganda and the Sudan. He was the son of Walter Tothill and Frances L. Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meteorinae</span> Subfamily of wasps

Meteorinae is a subfamily of braconid parasitoid wasps; however, since 2015, most scientists have treated this clade as the Tribe Meteorini in Euphorinae. Several species have been used in biological control programs. The name for this group comes from the pupal stage, which, in species attacking Lepidopteran hosts, hangs suspended from a long thread of silk.

Ann E. Hajek is an American entomologist with a focus in insect-microbe interactions. She was a professor of entomology at Cornell University from 1994 to 2024.

References

  1. Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar at UK Moths
  2. "Bug experts seeking new name for destructive gypsy moths". king5.com. July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  3. 1 2 ""Spongy Moth" Proposed as New Common Name for Lymantria Dispar". entsoc.org. January 25, 2022.
  4. "'Spongy Moth' Adopted as New Common Name for Lymantria dispar". Entomological Society of America. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  5. FAO - Profiles of selected forest pests [ permanent dead link ]
  6. "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species". Global Invasive Species Database. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  7. Renie, J. 1832. A conspectus of the butterflies and moths found in Britain: BHL page 42183122.
  8. 1 2 The Gypsy Moth: Research Toward Integrated Pest Management, United States Department of Agriculture, 1981
  9. Free Dictionary for Lymantria
  10. "Entomological Society of America Discontinues Use of Gypsy Moth, Ant Names". Entomological Society of America. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  11. Doubek, James (2021-07-10). "Insect Experts Will Change The Name Of The 'Gypsy Moth' And 'Gypsy Ant'". npr. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  12. "Gypsy Roma and Traveller History and Culture". The Traveller Movement. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pogue, Michael. "A review of selected species of Lymantria Huber [1819]" (PDF). Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  14. "Asian Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar asiatica". Pest Tracker National Agricultural Pest Information System. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  15. Simberloff, Daniel (October 2013). Invasive Species: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-992201-7.
  16. Biological Control Backfires
  17. Christenson, Amy (June 1997). "Know Your Friends". Midwest Biological Control News. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018.
  18. Brown, M. W. (1984). "Literature review of Ooencyrtus kuvanae [Hym.: Encyrtidae], an egg parasite of Lymantria dispar [Lep: Lymantriidae]". Entomophaga. 29 (3): 249–265. doi:10.1007/BF02372112. S2CID   867738.
  19. Tom W. Coleman, Laurel J. Haavik, Chris Foelker, Andrew M. Liebhold (2020) USDA Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet 162: Gypsy Moth
  20. Teirstein, Zoya (2024-06-10). "Millions of Very Hungry Caterpillars Are Munching Their Way through U.S. Forests". Scientific American . Retrieved 2024-06-11.