SEATTLE — A recent proclamation issued by the governor of the State of Washington, Jay Inslee, warns about the detection of Hokkaido gypsy moths in areas in Snohomish County, Washington. <br /><br />This is the first detection of the species in the U.S., the Washington State Department of Agriculture said in a press release. <br /><br />The Hokkaido gypsy moth is native to Russia, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.<br /><br />Asian gypsy moths measure three and a half inches (about 9 centimeters) long and female moths can lay from 500 to 1,000 eggs, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.<br /><br />In a press release, the Washington Department of Agriculture said European gypsy moth caterpillars eat more than 500 types of trees, plants, and shrubs.<br /><br />However, Karla Salp, a spokeswoman for the department, told UPI that Asian gypsy moths pose a greater threat than European gypsy moths because they can consume more species of plants.<br /><br />If the species establishes itself in Washington it would become a threat to forest ecosystems and could lead to quarantine restrictions and increased homeowner pesticide use, according to Washington's agriculture department.
