spongy moth

noun

plural spongy moths

: an Old World tussock moth (Lymantria dispar) that was introduced about 1869 into the U.S., that has a grayish-brown hairy caterpillar which is a destructive defoliator of many trees, and that has a flightless adult female which lays eggs in a spongelike ovoid egg mass covered in yellowish-brown hairs

Note: The mature caterpillar of the spongy moth has two distinctive rows of five blue dots followed by six red dots on the back.

Note: This insect was formerly known as the gypsy moth but was officially renamed by the Entomological Society of America in March 2022 due to the offensiveness of the historical name.

Examples of spongy moth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The spotted lanternfly is currently found in 17 states, while the spongy moth has been found in 20, USDA said. —Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024

The spongy moth and spotted lanternfly are destructive invasive insects. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2024

The spotted lanternfly is currently found in 17 states and the spongy moth has been detected in 20. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 26 Mar. 2024

What do spotted lanternfly and spongy moth eggs look like? —Li Cohen, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024

The spongy moth is native to parts of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. —Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2023

Moth caterpillars at outbreak levels can strip millions of trees of their leaves in the height of the growing season, but these outbreaks are sporadic or cyclic; most years spongy moths are sparse and do no visible damage. —Richard S. Ostfeld, STAT, 31 July 2023

One of the biggest sources of stress and damage is defoliation of oaks and other trees by the spongy moth (formerly called the gypsy moth). —Richard S. Ostfeld, STAT, 31 July 2023

Avoiding pesticide use in home landscapes is of critical importance, though communities that are subjected to aerial forest sprays for spongy moth or other pests may unfortunately experience population declines, even though such treatments are relatively targeted. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

2022, in the meaning defined above