Box tree moth
A native of East Asia first found in Europe in 2007, it has since spread across the continent by feeding on garden box hedges.
| Where | Gardens and hedgerows with box plants |
|---|---|
| Size | 38 to 44 mm wingspan |
| When | April to October |
Most adults are white with a thick brown border of uneven width around all wings; a darker all-brown form with a single white spot also occurs.
Caterpillars feed inside silk webbing on box leaves and, once the leaves are gone, strip the bark, which can kill the plant.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
White, Brown
Active
Night
To people
Garden pest of box plants
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The small magpie is much smaller, with a wingspan under 30 mm, bold black spots and an orange-yellow head, unlike the box tree moth's plain brown-bordered wings.
Questions
Is the Box tree moth dangerous to people?
Garden pest of box plants.
When can you see the Box tree moth?
The Box tree moth can be seen from April to October, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY‑SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
The plate on this page is shared under the same licence as its source, CC BY-SA.
Report a mistake in this entry
Butterflies and moths›Grass moths›Cydalima
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.