Gypsy moth
Insect
Gypsy moth
Lymantria dispar (L.)
Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae
Distribution: Most fruit-growing states and provinces in eastern North America.
View our gypsy moth information for homeowners and land managers
The following information on gypsy moths is for fruit farmers.
The adult male is brownish and marked with blackish zigzag lines (A). The adult female is whitish with brown transverse zigzag stripes (B) and does not fly. The masses of oval and yellow eggs are laid on the trunk of trees and covered with hair left by the female. The blackish caterpillar (C) has a yellow head, long hairs, and bears tubercles on its back (four blue followed by six red).