caterpillars!

Lymantria dispar (Gypsy moth)

Last update: 13 July 2022


Common

LOCATION: Krimpen aan den IJssel, garden

OBSERVATION:
2022-VI-11


Usually I encounter the first instar larvae of this moth so it was nice to find two late larvae of the Gypsy moth / Spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) [1]. During the clean up of pruned apple tree branches I found them resting on a leaf underneath the tree. Possibly they were ejected from the tree because of my pruning work, but probably they were just spending the day in preparation for the night. The first instars are daytime feeders but the late instars feed at night. During the day they will come down and seek a place in the leaf matter underneath the tree or rest on the trunk [2].

The exact instar cannot be identified because females have six moults where males have five [2].

Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), caterpillar
Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), caterpillar

References

1 Nederlands Soortenregister

2 CABI, 2022. Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth). In: Invasive Species Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/isc.

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