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• Gypsy Moth

European Gypsy Moth - Pest Identification

EGM is a plain-looking insect that people would likely not notice if it were not for its caterpillar stage. A female moth lays a cluster of eggs (called an egg mass) on and near trees, and each egg mass can hatch up to a thousand tiny caterpillars with a ravenous appetite for leaves. They feed on over 300 species of trees and shrubs. The caterpillars feed for about six to eight weeks and then pupate in a protected area.  After approximately two weeks, adult gypsy moths emerge, mate, and females lay eggs.  After overwintering, the eggs hatch, and the cycle begins again.  Gypsy moths produce one generation per year.

(select image for larger size)
Females laying egg masses Citation: Milan Pernek, Forestry Research Institute Bugwood.org
1st instar larva emerging from egg mass Citation: USDA FS Archive
Larva Citation: John H. Ghent, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Pupae Citation: PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources-Forestry Archive, Bugwood.org
EGM Adult Citation: Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org	AGM Adult Citation: John H. Ghent, USDA Forest Service
Defoliated oak branch Citation: Louis-Michel Nageleisen, Département de la Santé des Forêts, Bugwood.org
Defoliation Citation: Haruta Ovidiu, University of Oradea, Bugwood.org