Gypsy Moth (Male)

Description:

The male imago of the Gypsy Moth, Lymantria dispar, is characterized as a medium-sized brown moth with darker brown waved markings along the whole of the moth, as well as two "n's" on each side of the forewing. The species is considered invasive and extremely dangerous, as the larvae can defoliate a whole tree. The female moth is white, with much the same markings as the male, though is too large to fly. All invasive species can be traced back to a single introduction in Boston, Massachusetts about 150 years ago. The person who accidentally let the moths free notified the public of the problem, though no action was taken right away, resulting in the invasive population we now have.

Habitat:

Originally hardwood forests in Asia, though after the introduction, hardwood forests of Eastern North America as well.

Notes:

The huge antennae was a pleasure to photograph!