Description

Adult

Wingspan 38-40 mm. Both wings white with purplish sheen and a broad bronze-brown border. Body predominantly white with head, prothorax & tip of abdomen bronze-brown. Occasionally adults can be almost entirely brown with a pair of white spots on the forewings.

Larvae

Length up to 38 mm. Body mainly green and patterned with white & yellow stripes & a row of black, white rimmed spots. Head shiny black.

Eggs

Pale yellow to brown, 1mm in size, laid in gelatinous masses of 10-20 on the underside of leaves.

Distribution

Native to East Asia, and has now spread across central and southern Europe

Economic Host(s)

Leaves and occasionally bark of a wide variety of box tree (Buxus) species.

Symptoms/Signs

Larval feeding damage can be seen on leaf edges with sometimes only a leaf skeleton remaining. Webbing of branches with frass and exoskeleton residues (black head capsules) are also signs. Bark feeding causes the plant to dry out and die.

Generations:

April to October (climate dependent)