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Case Reports
. 2021 Nov 28:9:2050313X211057926.
doi: 10.1177/2050313X211057926. eCollection 2021.

Return of Lymantria dispar dispar (gypsy moth): A case report

Mawiyah Haq  1 , Ashley O'Toole  2   3   4 , Jennifer Beecker  3   5   6   7 , Melinda J Gooderham  2   3   4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Return of Lymantria dispar dispar (gypsy moth): A case report

Mawiyah Haq et al. SAGE Open Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

An invasive moth, Lymantria dispar dispar, also known as the gypsy moth, originates from Europe and first came to Ontario, Canada, in 1969. The moth is a defoliator which feeds on oak and other deciduous trees, and less commonly, conifers. Outbreaks of Lymantria dispar dispar moth infestation occur every 7-10 years with rapid expansion of the population until there is a natural collapse due to pathogens and predators. In addition to the extensive environmental impact of defoliation of the tree canopy, the Lymantria dispar dispar moth larva (caterpillar) is responsible for causing a significant cutaneous eruption in exposed individuals. In our report, we describe six cases of Lymantria dispar dispar dermatitis which occurred in Ontario, Canada, in May of 2021. It is important for dermatologists to be aware of this potential diagnosis and to be aware of local infestation in affected areas.

Keywords: Lymantria dispar dispar; dermatitis; gypsy moth.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD) larva seen outdoors during the month of May in Ontario, Canada. (a) LDD at an early instar stage. (b) Cluster of LDD larva infesting a tree in southern Ontario. Photo courtesy of A O’Toole (a) and M Hartviksen (b).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
(a) and (b) Typical eruption of excoriated papules and urticarial lesions on the forearm of patient #1. Photos courtesy of M Gooderham.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
(a) and (b) Serpiginous and clustered eruption of pruritic papules in patient #6. Photos courtesy of J Beecker.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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