Spongy Moth
FamilyErebidae
Scientific NameLymantria dispar
RangeEurope, Asia, introduced: North America
HabitatDeciduous forests
About the Spongy Moth
A moth whose hairy caterpillars can strip entire forests of leaves during outbreaks. It was brought to Massachusetts in 1869 by Etienne Leopold Trouvelot, who hoped to breed it for silk, and escaped. It has since spread across much of eastern North America. In 2022 the Entomological Society of America renamed it from its old common name.
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