Secondary pests, especially the two-lined chestnut borer and the honey fungus, also known as the shoestring root rot or amillaria fungus , were effective in their attacks on already stressed trees. Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar) Order: Lepidoptera Family: Erebidae. A serious threat to trees and shrubs in North America, the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is an insatiable eater–one fully grown caterpillar can eat up to a square foot of tree leaves in just one day.This defoliation process can significantly damage a tree, and if the infestation is bad enough, strip the entire tree of leaves within a matter of days.

Over the next 40 years, gypsy moth quickly spread as a result of human activities (motorized vehicles and tourism). Gypsy moth can be an expensive, messy problem for homeowners and, when out of control, can cause extensive damage to U.S. forests. But that damage came on top of a severe drought in 2016. As a result, they produce a …

A serious threat to trees and shrubs in North America, the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is an insatiable eater–one fully grown caterpillar can eat up to a square foot of tree leaves in just one day.This defoliation process can significantly damage a tree, and if the infestation is bad enough, strip the entire tree of leaves within a matter of days. The larva or caterpillar is the damaging stage as it eats the leavesof trees in the spring. It is ideal to treat the trees in the early stages. For example, Gypsy moth larvae can consume as much asone square foot of leaves per day. Gypsy moths belong to the widespread family of tussock moths, some of which show cyclical population booms and crashes. During a boom, or outbreak, they can cause massive defoliation most likely in uniform stands of tree species, particularly oaks. Gypsy moths are a concern because the larvae feed voraciously, mostly on the leaves of deciduous (leafy) trees, but also on some conifers (evergreens). A single fungal spore landing on a … Host species. The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, has recently been under significant pressure from the spread of a fungus called Entomophaga maimaiga. When leaves didn't appear on … Gypsy moth infestation? Its natural range is in Eurasia. Introduced to the U.S. in 1869, over the following 100 years, gypsy moth spread slowly across New England—primarily through caterpillar movement. In 2017, 400,000 acres were defoliated. It is currently established throughout the Northeast and parts of the upper Midwest. Gypsy moth numbers spiked in southern New England in 2017, after nearly two years of drought paved the way for one of the worst outbreaks since the early 1980s. Please use this website as a source of reliable, current information. The larva or caterpillar is the damaging stage as it eats the leavesof trees in the spring. The Office of Plant Industry Services manages the gypsy moth program across the Commonwealth. They can consume tremendous amounts of leafmaterial.