Page 330 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Crambidae
DISTRIBUTION Temperate and subtropical east Asia, including China, Japan,
and Korea; accidentally introduced into Germany in 2007 and
now in many other European countries
HABITAT Scrub, woodlands, hedgerows, parks, and gardens
HOST PLANTS Box (Buxus spp.)
NOTE Caterpillar that in large numbers creates webbing and
extensive defoliation
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated; widespread but rather local, although increasing
in Europe

ADULT WINGSPAN
1⅜–1 ⁄ in (35–40 mm)

CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1 ⁄ in (40 mm)
CYDALIMA PERSPECTALIS
BOX TREE MOTH
328
(WALKER, 1859)

The Box Tree Moth caterpillar takes its common name from

its host plant. Clusters of 5 to 20 eggs are laid in a at sheet on
a leaf, and the caterpillars live in groups. They create a loose,
silken web with frass pellets suspended within it and graze the
leaf surface, causing conspicuous pale patches of leaf death or
defoliation. In addition, the larvae sometimes eat the green bark
Actual size
of the young twigs. Pupation occurs in a cocoon between two
leaves. Later broods of larvae overwinter on the food plant.

The slightly iridescent, blackish and white (or almost entirely
brownish black) adults fly in two to three broods, mainly in
summer. In Europe, in the absence of its usual natural enemies,
the species has become a pest, threatening both native and
ornamental populations of box. In some places, larvae have
caused repeated heavy defoliation, which, along with stripping
of bark, can result in the death of the plant.

The Box Tree Moth caterpillar is smooth, rather
slender, and pale green in color with a black head.
It has two irregular, yellow lines along the back and
another low down along the sides. Laterally, there
are interrupted black-and-white stripes and lines
of raised black spots bearing ne, white bristles.
Young caterpillars are yellowish and plainer.