Gypsy-moth
Guides
Calosoma sycophanta
forest caterpillar hunter, Agreeable Caterpillar Hunter
Calosoma sycophanta is a large, metallic ground beetle renowned for its specialized predation on caterpillars. Adults reach 21–35 mm in length and display striking iridescent green elytra with a bluish scutellum, though coloration shifts with light angle to show blue, bronze, copper, gold, or black tones. Both adults and larvae are arboreal hunters, ascending trees to prey on caterpillars including Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth), Thaumetopoea processionea (oak processionary), and Thaumetopoea pityocampa. The species is diurnal and visually orients toward dark objects and tree bases in forests. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to North America for biological control and is now established in the northeastern United States.
Exorista larvarum
Exorista larvarum is a Palaearctic tachinid fly and polyphagous larval endoparasitoid of Lepidoptera. The species was introduced to North America in the 20th century for biological control of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). It is notable for being one of the few parasitoids that can be efficiently reared from egg to adult on artificial diets without living hosts, making it a promising candidate for mass production in augmentative biological control programs.
Gelis tenellus
Gelis tenellus is a hyperparasitoid wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. It attacks Apanteles melanoscelus, a braconid parasitoid of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), placing it at the fourth trophic level in forest food webs. The species exhibits sophisticated host discrimination behavior, capable of distinguishing between parasitized and unparasitized host larvae. Females locate host cocoons on tree trunks and use their elongated ovipositors to drill through cocoon walls to deposit eggs. The species undergoes diapause induced by photoperiod and temperature cues, an adaptation for seasonal survival.
Ooencyrtus
Ooencyrtus is a genus of chalcid wasps in the family Encyrtidae, established by William Harris Ashmead in 1900. The genus comprises approximately 320 recognized species as of 2017, making it one of the larger genera within Encyrtidae. Species of Ooencyrtus are primarily egg parasitoids, attacking eggs of various insects including true bugs, beetles, and moths. Several species have been investigated for biological control of agricultural pests, including O. kuvanae for gypsy moth control and O. nezarae for kudzu bug management.
Parasetigena
Parasetigena is a genus of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) containing at least two described species: P. silvestris and P. takaoi. Species in this genus are larval parasitoids, with P. silvestris documented as a specialized parasitoid of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larvae. These flies contribute to natural biological control of forest lepidopteran pests. The genus has been recorded from northern Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) and is associated with woodland habitats where host larvae occur.
Parasetigena silvestris
Parasetigena silvestris is a tachinid fly and specialist parasitoid of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). Females deposit macrotype eggs directly onto host larvae, with strong selectivity for host instar—first instars are rejected, while second through fifth instars are accepted with increasing preference for larger hosts. The species exhibits a bimodal diel activity pattern with oviposition peaks in early morning and late afternoon. It locates hosts by searching vegetation and responds to host silk trails and frass as orientation cues. Superparasitism occurs in the field, with parasitoid eggs aggregated on certain hosts rather than randomly distributed.