Spongy Moth
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Busan

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

5 Verified sightings at Busan
811 In all 15 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spongy Moth

Lymantria dispar, also known as the gypsy moth, and in the United States, the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae native to Europe and Asia. Lymantria dispar has been introduced to several continents and is now additionally found as an invasive species in Africa, North America and South America. The polyphagous larvae live on a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees and can cause severe damage in years of mass reproduction. Due to these features, Lymantria dispar is listed among the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.

The etymology of "gypsy moth" is not conclusively known; however, the term is known to have been in use (as 'Gipsey') as early as 1832. Moths of the subfamily Lymantriinae are commonly called tussock moths due to the tussock-like tufts of hair on the caterpillars.

The name Lymantria dispar is composed of two Latin-derived words. The generic name Lymantria means 'destroyer'. The species epithet dispar means 'to separate' in Latin; it refers to the sexual dimorphism observed... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~40%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
3 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
4 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
5 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
6 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
7 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
8 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
9 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
10 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
11 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
12 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
13 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
14 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
15 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
3 Busan 🇰🇷 South Korea
~20%
4 Porto 🇵🇹 Portugal
~10%
5 Novosibirsk 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
6 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
7 Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea
~10%
8 Paris 🇫🇷 France
~10%
9 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
10 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spongy Moth in Busan?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spongy Moth sighting in Busan on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 25th most-seen of the 31 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spongy Moth in Busan?

July

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spongy Moth in Busan on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months. That is one of Busan's wettest months, with about 290 mm of rain against 40 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see a Spongy Moth?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spongy Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Busan the best place to see a Spongy Moth?

Among the best

Of the 39 cities where we can rate Spongy Moth sightings, Busan ranks 3rd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 20%) and London (United Kingdom, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Spongy Moth live in Busan?

Same order: Lepidoptera

The closest relatives of the Spongy Moth that you can see in Busan (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Pale Grass Blue (about 40%), Common Bluebottle (about 30%) and Asian Comma (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Spongy Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spongy Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Busan (5 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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