The gypsy month has four stages in its life cycle, and these stages are the egg, larva, pupa and the adult stages. Every female gypsy moth can lay anywhere from 100 to 500 eggs, and they mostly lay in the areas where there is shelter. You will find these eggs typically under the bark of the tree. Also, the eggs are completely covered with a tan or buff colored hairs.
The eggs can actually be attached to any outdoor objects. These eggs are laid during winter, and they hatch in spring, or in the month of April. They become caterpillars. These caterpillars can be easily identified as they are quite different from the regular ones that feed on plants. Gypsy moth caterpillars feature five blue dot pairs followed by six red dot pairs on their back. The younger caterpillars are active through the day and feed mainly at this time. The adult caterpillars come at night to feed. Younger caterpillars also keep moving to newer locations in the same tree, and they spin a silk thread so that they are not carried away by the wind.
In the larval stage, the gypsy moth spends nearly seven weeks. In the early months of June or July, the larva becomes into a pupa. The pupa is typically dark brown, and it can be nearly 2 inches long. It is covered with dark brown hairs. The pupae house themselves on leaves and sheltered areas like the bark of the tree. The adult moths emerge form the pupa after it is 14 days into the pupal stage of the lifecycle. The adults usually emerge in the months of July and August.
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