Box Tree Moth
Box tree moth larva feeding on boxwood foliage. Note the webbing and damaged leaves. Photo credit: Ferenc Lakatos, University of Sopron, Bugwood.org
Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) is an exotic, invasive pest that impacts boxwood plants. The moth is originally from Asia, and is not known to be established in the U.S. However, in spring 2021, a nursery in Ontario, Canada shipped infested nursery stock to six states in the U.S., including a large wholesale location, which further distributed to plants across the U.S.
USDA APHIS PPQ and State Departments of Agriculture have been working together to track down and destroy the infested plants, to prevent establishment. Additionally, box tree moth traps and lures are being provided to states to conduct surveys at the receiving facilities and high risk locations.
USDA also issued a Federal Order halting the importation of host plants from Canada, including boxwood (Buxus species), Euonymus (Euonymus species), and holly (Ilex species), which went into effect May 26, 2021.
Box tree moths defoliate the boxwood plants, causing plant stress and eventual death. If foliage is not available, the larvae may even feed on the bark.
Signs of a box tree moth infestation include skeletonized leaves, webbing among leaves, and green-black frass on leaves.
If you see any evidence of box tree moth infestation on boxwood plants, please take pictures and immediately report your concerns to NDA at (402) 471-6847 or agr.plant@nebraska.gov.
More information about box tree moth, including pictures of life stages and damage, can be found online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/alert-box-tree-moth.pdf
Adult box tree moths are most typically like the white and brown specimen on the left. However, occasionally moths will be almost entirely brown, with small white marks on the forewings (moth on the right). Photo credit: Szabolcs Sáfián, University of West Hungary, Bugwood.org