Scientists Issue Warning On New Bug Species Found In CT

CONNECTICUT — State scientists have issued a warning on a species of invasive moth just discovered to have made its way to Connecticut.

The box tree moth is native to East Asia and has become a serious invasive pest in Europe, according to officials at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. Working with the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/Plant Protection and Quarantine, CAES is reporting that the moth hitched a ride to a retail nursery in Connecticut from Ontario, Canada.

APHIS had issued a federal order on May 26 to halt the import of all the moth's host plants, including boxwood, Eunymous and holly, from Canada. On May 27, the agency had confirmed the presence of the tree moth in Michigan and South Carolina, as well as Connecticut.

In 2018, Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) was found in the Toronto area of Canada. The caterpillars feed mostly on boxwood, and heavy infestations can defoliate host plants. Once the leaves are gone, larvae consume the bark, leading to girdling and plant death.

CAES officials advise residents who have purchased a boxwood plant in the past few months to inspect it for signs of the box tree moth. Symptoms include a fine, green-black powdery refuse, and silk threads on the host plant. The caterpillars are very "cryptic," according to the state entomologists, who recommend looking for the shiny and abundant webbing or pupae.

Residents are urged report their findings to the state at CAES.StateEntomologist@ct.gov.