THE GYPSY MOTH

ORDER - Lepidotera
FAMILY - Liparidae

Description - The Gypsy Moth, now called Portheria dispar (Linnaeus), a species introduced from Europe, is the most common in the East; its larva does tremendous damage to the forest trees and about 500 different plant species. In the late 1860s a French astronomer named Leopold Trouvelot brought an obscure European moth then called Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus) to his home in Bedford, Massachusetts to develop a disease-resistant form of silk worm. Some of his captive moths escaped. Since that time there have been organized eradication efforts in the U.S. Despite these efforts, the gypsy moth has spread and become the most notorious forest/tree pest in North America. Note: The Gypsy moth was first identified in Michigan in 1954, and aerial spraying with DDT for the next nine years resulted in the "successful" eradication. In 1966 a "new" infestation was found and carbaryl was used to "eradicate" the Gypsy moth. In 1973, carbaryl and diflubenzuron were used by the Michigan DOA to "eradicate" the Gypsy moth. By 1980 the Michigan DOA "eradication" efforts continued and over 16,000 ha were sprayed with poison between 1980 and 1984. By 1984, the Gypsy moth had spread to 73 of the 83 counties in Michigan. Today, spraying of Bt and other toxins continue to "control" this pest. Male Gypsy moths are brownish, with plumose antennae, and are good fliers; the females are white with black markings; do not fly. They are in the Tussock Moth family. Lepidoptera all have scale-covered wings.

Gypsy Moth Control - Scrape and remove all egg masses - 50% of all residential egg masses (containing 500-1000 eggs) occur within reach of the ground. Try to spray the infested trees with soapy water and/or diluted Safe Solutions, Inc.'s Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint - but if the trees are too tall - Gypsy moths like to migrate down the trunk during the heat of the day to find cool shade - so tie layers of burlap around the trunk of the infested tree and then late in the afternoon, lift the layers of burlap and spray them with diluted Safe Solutions, Inc.'s Enzyme Cleaners or vacuum them up or brush them into a 5-gallon bucket half filled with soapy water - repeat as necessary. Install bands of Tanglefoot® or Vaseline® around the infested trees. You might also try parasitic wasps - some suppliers are A-1 Unique @ 1-916-961-7945; Arbico @ 1-800-827-2847; Beneficial Insectary @ 1-800-477-3715; Caltec @ 1-209-575-1295; Nature’s Control @ 1-503-899-8318 and/or Natural Pest Controls @ 1-916-726-0855 - this shows promise but really has not been properly field tested. Aqueous neem seed extracts containing 0.5% extractable product sprayed on oak tree leaves gave 100% control of gypsy moth. Remove debris, bark flaps and dead branches every fall. Gypcheck is the registered name of a baculoviris or nuclear polyhedrosis virus, which is a naturally-occuring pathogen that can collapse high gypsy moth populations. The USDA - Forest Service has registered this microbial control agent for use against the moth. Azadirachtin, a tetranortriterpene present in Neem extracts, can also be used to control these pests as can diluted Safe Solutions, Inc.'s Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint.

Imported parasites that attack gypsy moths in North America

Natural Controls & Parasites 

When the temperatures drop below -28o F on a single day or below -15o F at least 15 days, the eggs begin to perish in the egg masses. Try BT or Safe Solutions, Inc.'s Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint or diluted red dye if you must spray. Put Tanglefoot® or Vaseline® pest barrier around infested trees, shrubs and vines.

In 1999 Delaware’s Department of Agriculture announced that for the first time since 1981 it would not be spraying 49,000 acres in spring and summer; the 1998 virus and fatal mold applications had resulted in no egg masses in the Fall 1998 survey.

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