Cydalima perspectalis

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has announced that the Box Tree Moth (BTM) (Cydalima perspectalis (family Crambidae) has been confirmed in southwest Ohio near the borders of Hamilton and Clermont Counties. This is the first time this non-native pest of boxwoods (Buxus spp.) has been confirmed in Ohio.

Boxwoods (Buxus spp.) are some of the most common plants found in Ohio landscapes and they remain a mainstay of our nursery industry. Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis) caterpillars defoliate boxwoods and will strip bark once they run out of leaves to eat. The moth has multiple generations per year, depending on geographical locations, and sustained high populations are capable of killing boxwoods.