gypsy moth

noun

1. a moth, Porthetria dispar, introduced into the U.S. from Europe, the larvae of which feed on the foliage of shade and other trees.

gypsy moth

noun

1. a variant spelling of gipsy moth

Word History and Origins

Origin of gypsy moth¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Heat-treating wood, for example, can also help ward off the gypsy moth, spotted lanternfly and the Asian long-horned beetle, Tamm said.

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Washington has had success over the past five decades in detecting and eradicating the pests — formerly known as gypsy moths.

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The gypsy moth was renamed the spongy moth by the Entomological Society of America last year, and the former Hottentot Teal, a duck, was renamed the Blue-Billed Teal by the American Ornithological Society.

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In 2022, for instance, the Entomological Society of America adopted spongy moth for the invasive moth Lymantria dispar, getting rid of gypsy moth.

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This spring, I was finally introduced to its very hungry caterpillars, the larval stage of the insect formerly known as the gypsy moth before it was renamed this year.

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