Boxwood
Guides
Cydalima perspectalis
box tree moth, box tree caterpillar
Cydalima perspectalis, commonly known as the box tree moth, is a highly invasive pest moth native to East Asia. First described in 1859, it has spread rapidly across Europe since 2006 and was detected in North America in 2018. The species is a specialist herbivore of boxwood (Buxus spp.), with larvae capable of causing severe defoliation and plant mortality. Multiple generations per year and efficient dispersal via horticultural trade have facilitated its global expansion.
Eurytetranychus
Eurytetranychus is a genus of spider mites (Tetranychidae) known primarily as pests of boxwood (Buxus species). The most notable species, Eurytetranychus buxi, feeds on boxwood foliage and has been identified as a significant arthropod pest in managed landscapes. Climate change may allow this mite to complete additional generations in warming regions, potentially increasing damage in areas where it was previously unproblematic.
Galasa nigrinodis
Boxwood Leaftier Moth, Boxwood Webworm
A small pyralid moth native to eastern North America, commonly known as the boxwood leaftier moth or boxwood webworm. The species is specialized on Buxus (boxwood) as a larval host. Larvae construct shelters by tying together dead leaves with silk, feeding within these protective webs. Adults are active from early summer through early autumn.
Monarthropalpus
boxwood leafminer gall midge
Monarthropalpus is a genus of gall midges in the family Cecidomyiidae. The genus contains at least one described species, M. flavus, commonly known as the boxwood leafminer. These small flies are native to Europe and were introduced to North America, where they have become significant pests of boxwood (Buxus spp.) ornamental plants. The larvae develop as leafminers within boxwood leaves, causing characteristic yellow-orange discoloration, blistering, and gall formation that disfigures foliage.
Monarthropalpus flavus
boxwood leafminer
A small gnat-like gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) native to Europe that is a significant pest of boxwood (Buxus spp.) in ornamental landscapes. Adults are delicate orange flies resembling mosquitoes. Females use a drill-like ovipositor to insert eggs into the undersides of young leaves. Larvae feed gregariously within leaf tissue, inducing rudimentary blister galls through hypertrophy and hyperplasia of spongy parenchyma. The species represents an evolutionary intermediate between leafminers and true gall inducers. First detected in the United States in 1910, it now causes serious damage to boxwood across the eastern U.S.