Lymantriidae

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Lymantriidae (tussock moths; subclass Pterygota, order Lepidoptera) Family of generally medium-sized moths. The proboscis is usually absent, and the antennae are bipectinate in males and usually so in females. Sometimes females are wingless. The larvae are hairy, often brightly coloured, and hairs are frequently woven into the coccoon. Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth) was supposed to be extinct in Britain from about 1850, but several individuals have been identified since the late 1960s. There are about 2000 species. The family has a wide distribution.