Gypsy Moth

Lymantria dispar, known as the gypsy moth and, in the United States, as the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae native to Europe and Asia. It is subdivided into several subspecies, including L. d. dispar and L. d. japonica, which are clearly distinguishable from one another. The species has been introduced to several continents and is now an invasive species in Africa, North America and South America, where its polyphagous larvae feed on a wide variety of deciduous and coniferous trees and can cause severe damage during years of mass reproduction; it is listed among the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.