Asian Gypsy Moth | National Invasive Species Information Center

Asian gypsy moth, female in Mongolia - Photo by John Ghent

Scientific Name:

Lymantria dispar asiatica Vnukovskij, Lymantria dispar japonica (Motschulsky), Lymantria albescens Hori and Umeno, Lymantria umbrosa (Butler), and Lymantria postalba Inoue (APHIS 2015)

Common Name:

Asian gypsy moth (AGM)

Native To:

L. asiatica is native to temperate Asia east of the Ural Mountains; L. d. japonica, L. albescens, L. umbrosa, and L. postalba are native to Japan (Pogue and Schaefer 2007)

Date of U.S. Introduction:

First discovered in the Pacific Northwest in the 1991 (APHIS 2015)

Means of Introduction:

From infested cargo in ships (APHIS 2015)

Impact:

Eradicated in North Carolina and Washington. It is a voracious pest of trees that poses a major threat to forest habitats in North America. (APHIS 2015)

Current U.S. Distribution:

Not currently established

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) - Asian Gypsy Moth

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

Pest Tracker - Survey Status of Asian Gypsy Moth

USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey. National Agricultural Pest Information System.

Federally Regulated

Asian Gypsy Moth - Federal Notices

USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Hungry Pests - Pest Tracker

USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

See what states have a federal quarantine for any of the targeted Hungry Pests, and identify which pests or diseases are at greatest risk due to a suitable habitat. In addition to federal quarantines, state-level quarantines might apply see State Summaries of Plant Protection Laws and Regulations (National Plant Board).

Images

Google Images - Asian Gypsy Moth

Google.

Invasive.org - Asian Gypsy Moth

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Invasive.org - Photo Comparison of Adult Female Asian Gypsy Moth and Adult Female European Gypsy Moth

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

PaDIL - Asian Gypsy Moth

Australian Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre. Pests and Diseases Image Library.

Videos

YouTube - Asian Gypsy Moth

Google. YouTube;Oregon State University. Extension Service.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Asian Gypsy Moth.

Council or Task Force

Fact Sheet: Gypsy Moth (Dec 2016) (PDF | 983 KB)

Alberta Invasive Species Council (Canada).

See also: Fact Sheets for more information about individual invasive species, including those listed as "Prohibited Noxious" and "Noxious" under the Alberta Weed Control Act

Partnership

Gallery of Pests - Asian Gypsy Moth

Nature Conservancy. Don't Move Firewood.

TISI Inventory - Asian Gypsy Moth

Texas State University System. Texas Invasive Species Institute.

Federal Government

Forest Disturbance Processes - Asian Gypsy Moth

USDA. FS. Northern Research Station.

Hungry Pests: The Threat - Asian Gypsy Moth

USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Plant Pest and Disease Program: Insects - Gypsy Moth

USDA. APHIS. Plant Protection and Quarantine.