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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
For example, spongy moths may be virtually absent for years on end before appearing en masse and defoliating forests. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 July 2024 The woodrats’ food sources have also taken a hit, such as chestnut trees destroyed by chestnut blight and acorn-producing oak trees imperiled by the spongy moth. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2024 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

Word History

First Known Use

2022, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spongy moth was in 2022

Dictionary Entries Near spongy moth

Cite this Entry

“Spongy moth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spongy%20moth. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

spongy moth

noun
: an Old World moth that was introduced into the U.S. where its caterpillar is a destructive defoliator of many trees
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