News Animals

The spongy moth’s new name replaces an ethnic slur

Entomologists chose the common name as a nod to the invasive species’ eggs

photo of three spongy moths resting tree bark

The invasive spongy moth (pictured) used to be called the gypsy moth, a pejorative term that entomologists have replaced with a name that references the insect’s porous egg casings (seen here as brown masses beneath the moths).

John Ghent/Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0)

By Jude Coleman

A menacing pest just became a bit less problematic, at least socially, after getting an update to its common name.