Gypsy Moth, Lymantria (=Ocneria) dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), in the People's Republic of China

In a 2-month expedition to Beijing and northeast People's Republic of China (PRC) to investigate natural enemies of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), much was learned about the pest itself. Its distribution is wide in the PRC but it is more abundant in the northeast where local outbreaks occurred in 1980 and/or 1981. Known outbreak history is tabulated. Gravid adult females are capable of sustained flight and often lay eggs on structures near outdoor lights, to which they are attracted. Larval behavior is similar to that of larvae in North America. At low population levels much feeding is done at night and large larvae rest under bark flaps, stones, or leaf litter during the day. Larval food plants are listed and are similar to that of New World larvae except that persimmon, Diospyros sp., in the Beijing area, and larch, Larix spp., in the northeast, are highly preferred. Larval developmental phenology based on our collected larvae is presented. Larval color variation is pronounced (greater quantities of yellow) but this varies within sites and geographically. About 0.3% of larvae collected were black-backed mutants, an example of which is illustrated.