Box tree caterpillar

The box tree caterpillar (Cydalima perspectalis) severely defoliates box (Buxus) plants and originates in East Asia. Infestations of caterpillars were first recorded in the UK in 2011 and Ireland in 2018, although UK traps had been catching the adults since 2007. The moths are strong flyers, spreading rapidly, and their caterpillars defoliate box plants quickly and severely.