
Lymantria dispar, Crete - photo © K. Bormpoudaki
Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758)
MOTH INFO
Lymantria dispar is a moth of the family Erebidae on the island of Crete, Greece.
Scientific name
Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Phalaena dispar (Linnaeus, 1758)
Porthetria hadina (Butler, 1881)
Porthetria umbrosa (Butler, 1881)
Common name
Spongy Moth
Classification
Superfamily: Noctuoidea > Family: Erebidae > Subfamily: Lymantriinae > Tribus: Lymantriini > Genus: Lymantria
Wingspan
40-70 mm
Habitat
The moth can be found in deciduous forests, warm forests, orchards, parks, gardens, etc.
Food plant
The polyphagous larvae live on various deciduous and coniferous trees and can cause severe damage in years of mass reproduction. On the island of Crete, larvae mainly feed on Quercus coccifera. Other foodplants are Fagaceae (Quercus), Rosaceae (Malus, Crataegus), Salicaceae (Salix, Populus), Ulmaceae (Ulmus).
Flight period
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |