Lymantria dispar larva (IMAGE)
Caption
"Spongy moth" has been formally adopted as the new common name for the moth species Lymantria dispar by the Entomological Society of America. The ESA Governing Board voted unanimously last week to approve the addition of "spongy moth" to ESA's Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List, completing a process started in July 2021 when the previous name, "gypsy moth," was removed due to its use of a derogatory term for the Romani people. The change is the first undertaken by ESA's Better Common Names Project. Shown here is a spongy moth larva.
Credit
Karla Salp, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
Usage Restrictions
Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY