Lymantria dispar dispar outbreak

Observation by Jason Sukhu:

Lymantria dispar dispar also known as spongy moth was observed in Waterloo Ontario to be in unusually large quantities during the summer of 2021. While sitting under a park bench shaded by an oak tree, it became uncomfortable since there were many caterpillars were crawling around the roots of the tree and many more hanging down from the canopy. Lymantria dispar dispar is an invasive species that has been in North America since the 1860s. This moth feeds on leaves and needles of oaks, aspens and many other trees. One caterpillar can eat one square metre of foliage therefore many together can leave a tree bare in days.