Lymantria dispar
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 7 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 11 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 14 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 15 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spongy Moth sighting in Sierra Nevada National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 240th most-seen of the 479 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Spongy Moth in Sierra Nevada National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
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.
11th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Spongy Moth sightings, Sierra Nevada National Park ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 40%), Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 40%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 20%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the Spongy Moth that you can see in Sierra Nevada National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Drasteria cailino (about 20%), Discrete Chaperon (about 20%) and The Passenger (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spongy Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra Nevada National Park (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
