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🧬 Biological Classification (Kingdom to Species)Lymantria dispar

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Erebidae

Genus

Lymantria

Species

Lymantria dispar

Insecta🌿 Herbivore

Spongy moth

Lymantria dispar (Spongy moth · マイマイガ)

🛡️ Conservation Status (IUCN Red List)NE (Not Evaluated)

Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List yet.

Geological Era

Extant

Diet

Herbivore

Length · Height

1.5~3.5cm · No data (Wingspan 0.037m)

Mass · Top Speed

No data · No data

Habitat & Fossil Locality

Temperate forests and wooded cities and suburbs

💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed

💡 A maximum wingspan of 6.2 cm is slightly longer than two Korean 500-won coins (2.65 cm) placed side by side (5.3 cm) (Comparison).
💡 The caterpillars eat the leaves of over 500 tree species, including oaks, and also live on urban and suburban trees. ADW notes that leaf defoliation can also benefit humans by opening forest canopies and thinning overcrowded yard trees.

Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.

#매미나방#Lymantria dispar

📖 1. Overview

The spongy moth is a moth whose caterpillars feed on tree leaves, living in temperate forests and wooded cities and suburbs. In Korea, a small population on Soheuksando Island in Jeollanam-do is recorded separately from mainland individuals.

🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology

Males have a light brown body, dark brown wings with black bands, and feathery antennae, while females are slightly larger and mostly white. The body length is 15–35 mm and the wingspan is 37–62 mm (ADW).

🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior

Only the caterpillars feed on the leaves of over 500 species of trees and shrubs, while adults have underdeveloped mouthparts and do not eat. A female lays about 1,000 eggs a year on tree trunks and branches, and the eggs hatch 8–9 months later.

🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea

Individuals on Soheuksando Island in Jeollanam-do are noticeably smaller than Korean mainland individuals, with a wingspan of 47–48 mm and a pale wing center (National List of Species of Korea).