Update on "What Do I Call Lymantria Dispar?" (Cw: Slur)

There's this horrible moth called lymantria dispar-- it's an invasive species in the east of North America that is extremely destructive to trees.

It is better known as the "gypsy moth", which is really an awful name (g***y is a slur for Romani people.) But even most people I knew, who knew the name is pretty bad, still used that name.

Fast forward to today, and I am in a meeting with Real Scientists, and apparently "lymantria dispar" is now the term people use! They used the term in a meeting, with a quick clarification.

And it turns out, as of July 2021 this year, Official Name Scientists are coming up with a different, alternative name. But for now, it's Lymantria Dispar.

So if you're ever telling someone about the ecological impacts of this invasive species, you too can call it lymantria dispar without sounding like some asshole who uses big latin words