It’s not until you get close to them that you realize their beautiful coloration and texture.
This wild looking creature is called a gypsy moth caterpillar. Along the length of its body there are five sets of blue dots, and six sets of red dots. Along the side are orange dots. The yellow and black head is at the top. If you look closely, you can even see its distinct “eye spots”. These caterpillars are generally 1”-2” long, so it’s not until you get close to them that you realize their beautiful coloration and texture.
Even though they are small, these caterpillars have a voracious appetite. In fact, one gypsy moth caterpillar can eat a square foot of leaves each day! When these small creatures gather in mass, they can make quick work of foliage. Throughout the forestry and gardening communities, gypsy moth caterpillars are known as one of the most destructive pests around.
So how did it all start? Back in 1869, an amateur French entomologist, Etienne Leopold Trouvelot, brought European gypsy moth caterpillars to Massachusetts. He was conducting breeding experiments with gypsy moth caterpillars and silk worms, in an attempt to launch a profitable silk industry in the United States. Naturally, some of these caterpillars escaped the lab and established in the surrounding area. At first, the outbreak remained local, but with time it spread.
Eventually, the federal government stepped in and placed a quarantine on all the gypsy moth caterpillar infested trees in the area. People were not allowed to transport trees from the infested area without first conducting a thorough inspection and removing any gypsy moth caterpillars found. For decades, the gypsy moth remained solely a New England problem. However, since then the gypsy moth caterpillar has been found moving westward, beginning to occupy Midwest states. The general consensus is that gypsy moths are here to stay, as they do not have natural predators here that keep their populations in check. Gypsy moths also produce a large number of offspring. A single female will lay an egg mass containing hundreds of eggs!
They do not have natural predators in the USA
Gypsy moth caterpillars become moths in midsummer. What do they look like when they become a moth? The males tend to be mostly brown. The females tend to be mostly white and tend to be larger in size. Interestingly, it is only the male moths that can fly. This photo was taken in Newry, Maine.
Did You Know?
- The gypsy moth is also referred to as the “spongy moth”. This is due to the spongy look of their egg masses. Gypsy moths will remain in these egg masses for about 10 months!
Photo Tip
- It is helpful to have a dive light to illuminate the crevices, overhangs, and caves that nudibranchs often explore.
- Move slowly, but get close when shooting photos. These are small, but beautiful, creatures.
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