The Gypsy Moth, Lymantria Dispar (L.)

The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), was brought from Europe to the United States in the spring of 1869 by Leopold Trovelot, a naturalist, for the purpose of producing a commercial source of silk (Forbush and Fernald 1896). Later that year, insects escaped from the cages in his house in Medford, Massachusetts and since 1889, the first notable outbreak, the gypsy moth has had the public’s attention (Gerardi and Grimm 1979). Gypsy moth outbreaks are still limited principally to northeastern and middle Atlantic states (Anonymous 1984); however, the southward expansion of this naturalized pest continues. It is a defoliator of over 500 species of trees, shrubs, and vines (McManus 1980). In Florida, potential damage is high to forests composed primarily of oaks and other favored tree species, particularly in portions of the panhandle and the central sand ridge of the peninsula.