Spongy moths in the crosshairs on Pennsylvania’s public lands

More than two dozen state parks, forests and game lands in Pennsylvania are being sprayed this month as part of an ongoing effort to combat spongy – formerly called gypsy – moths, an invasive insect that poses a significant threat to woodland ecosystems.
The aerial spraying of 11 state forests and parks and 16 game lands with a biological agent and a chemical insecticide targets caterpillars as they emerge from their overwintering egg masses and begin to feed on the leaves of trees. While oaks are the spongy moth’s preferred host, hundreds of species of trees are vulnerable.