Local spatial patterns along the leading edge of invading gypsy moth populations

Biological invasions are major threats to the functioning and composition of native ecosystems. Following the arrival and successful establishment of non-native species, invaders begin to spread along an invasion front. Empirical data on the spread of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), has shown that its spatial pattern along a leading edge can be complex, giving rise to variable rates of spread with important consequences in our attempts to understand why the spread rates of non-native invaders are dynamic in space and time.