Cydalima perspectalis

Last updated

Box tree moth
Cydalima perspectalis MHNT Imago.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Cydalima
Species:
C. perspectalis
Binomial name
Cydalima perspectalis
(Walker, 1859)
Synonyms
  • Phakellura perspectalisWalker, 1859
  • Glyphodes perspectalis
  • Diaphania perspectalis
  • Palpita perspectalis
  • Neoglyphodes perspectalis
  • Glyphodes albifuscalisHampson, 1899
  • Phacellura advenalisLederer, 1863

Cydalima perspectalis or the box tree moth is a species of moth of the family Crambidae, first described by Francis Walker, the English entomologist, in 1859. Native to Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, far-east Russia and India, [1] it has invaded Europe; first recorded in Germany in 2006, then Switzerland and the Netherlands in 2007, Great Britain in 2008, France and Austria in 2009, [2] [3] [4] [5] Hungary in 2011, [6] then Romania, [7] and Spain. [8] It has been seen in Slovakia, Belgium [9] and Croatia. [10]

Contents

It was during preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in 2012, that it was introduced from Italy to Sochi, European Russia, with the planting stock of Buxus sempervirens . The following year it defoliated Buxus colchica in large quantities. [11]

It was recorded in Ontario, Canada in August 2018 [12] and in the eastern United States in May 2021. [13]

Description

Eggs are 1 mm in diameter, placed under green unattacked leaves. First larvae just coming out from the egg are about 1–2 mm long. Larvae development brings them in four weeks to about 35–40 mm at maximum. There is some shrinkage at the beginning of the nymphosis, pupae are 25–30 mm long, first green with browning longitudinal lines, then more and more brownish. The wingspan of the adult form is 40–45 mm. Two variants are observed, the most common one is mostly white while the other is most entirely light brown.

Life cycle

There are two or three generations per year with adults on the wing from April/May to September.[ citation needed ]. In the warmest parts of the European importation area, with cold conditions coming late in the year, there might be sometimes four generations per year. The species overwinters as a juvenile cocooned larva (about 5–10 mm long), protected in an hibernarium made of two leaving Buxus leaves solidly joined by silk.[ citation needed ]

Host plant

Larval feeding damage - only the contour of the leaves and frass is left. Box tree moth larval feeding damage.jpg
Larval feeding damage - only the contour of the leaves and frass is left.

The larvae feed on the leaves and shoots of Buxus species. [14] Young larvae often eat only the upper part of the leaf, leaving the tougher veins and the waxy lower epithelium as if the leaves had been peeled. These peeled leaves eventually die. Old larvae are the most damaging: they massively and completely eat the leaves, sometimes leaving a thin part at the contour and centre of the leaf. Green ball-shaped frass can usually be seen on host plants.

Natural regulation or predation

Vespa velutina (Asian predatory wasp) in active search of Cydalima perspectalis larvae on an infested box-tree bush. Frelon asiatique pyrale buis.JPG
Vespa velutina (Asian predatory wasp) in active search of Cydalima perspectalis larvae on an infested box-tree bush.

In the area of origin (Asia) natural regulation occurs, as witnessed by the non-destructive behavior of C. perspectalis. In the area of Europe where the moth has been introduced, the damage is very serious because natural regulation does not occur at a significant level. However, in European areas where the Asian hornet ( Vespa velutina ) is present prior to the introduction of C. perspectalis, some degree of predation by the wasp is observed (not confirmed by scientific and clear results). This is namely in the south-west of France, the first place where V. velutina was introduced to Europe in 2004 (C. perspectalis invaded this area in 2012). V. velutina is able to capture small larvae, and larvae preparing for the nymphosis in their cocoon. Where V. velutina has been introduced this causes other problems as it preys on honey bees and European honey bees are more vulnerable than their Asian counterparts. Further research is conducted for the suitability of C. perspectalis for parasitoid species, such as the tachinid Exorista larvarum . [15]

Control measures

Synthetic insecticides such as cypermethrin and deltamethrin are efficient, but must be thoroughly applied inside the bush and under leaves. Natural pyrethrin insecticides, extracted from Chrysanthemum and mixed with colza oil, can also be used. Spinosad, based on chemical compounds found in a bacterium, is also efficient.

Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki is a bacterium which produces an insect-specific endotoxin which perforates the caterpillars' gut lining, leading to paralysis and death.

Nematodes also have an action on the digestive system of larvae (difficult to adopt on this moth).

Pheromone traps (attracting adult males) are able to prevent impregnation of adult females and therefore control the severity of the damage. A more important proportion of sterile eggs is deposited by adult females. The selectivity of the pheromone is very good and useful indigenous species are not attracted. Pheromone traps must be in place from March–April to October–November. [16]

Insecticide, Bacillus and nematode treatments must be repeated three times at an interval of about ten days, because they mostly affect young larvae.

The species has become widespread in London and surrounding areas and has been ranked as a top garden pest in Great Britain. The Royal Horticultural Society provides an on-line survey to keep track of the pest. [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Buxus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Buxus is a genus of about seventy species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine processionary</span> Species of moth

The pine processionary is a moth of the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae in the family Notodontidae, known for the irritating hairs of its caterpillars, their processions, and the economic damage they cause in coniferous forests. The species was first described scientifically by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775, though it was known to the ancients, with remedies described by Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder. Its processionary behaviour was described in 1916 by the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. It is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and southern Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oak processionary</span> Species of moth

The oak processionary (OPM) is a moth whose caterpillars can be found in oak forests, where they feed on oak leaves, causing significant damage. They travel in nose-to-tail processions, often arrow-headed, with a leader followed by rows of several caterpillars abreast. They are a human irritant because of their venomous setae, which can cause skin irritation and asthma. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabbage looper</span> Species of moth

The cabbage looper is a medium-sized moth in the family Noctuidae, a family commonly referred to as owlet moths. Its common name comes from its preferred host plants and distinctive crawling behavior. Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, bok choy, and broccoli, are its main host plant; hence, the reference to cabbage in its common name. The larva is called a looper because it arches its back into a loop when it crawls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light brown apple moth</span> Species of moth (Epiphyas postvittana)

The light brown apple moth is a leafroller moth belonging to the lepidopteran family Tortricidae.

<i>Buxus sempervirens</i> Species of flowering plants in the box family

Buxus sempervirens, the common box, European box, or boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Buxus, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocco, and east through the northern Mediterranean region to Turkey. Buxus colchica of western Caucasus and B. hyrcana of northern Iran and eastern Caucasus are commonly treated as synonyms of B. sempervirens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spilomelinae</span> Subfamily of moths

Spilomelinae is a very species-rich subfamily of the lepidopteran family Crambidae, the crambid snout moths. With 4,135 described species in 344 genera worldwide, it is the most speciose group among pyraloids.

<i>Agrotis ipsilon</i> Species of moth

Agrotis ipsilon, the dark sword-grass, black cutworm, greasy cutworm, floodplain cutworm or ipsilon dart, is a small noctuid moth found worldwide. The moth gets its scientific name from black markings on its forewings shaped like the letter "Y" or the Greek letter upsilon. The larvae are known as "cutworms" because they cut plants and other crops. The larvae are serious agricultural pests and feed on nearly all varieties of vegetables and many important grains.

<i>Cydia nigricana</i> Pea moth

Cydia nigricana, the pea moth, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Europe.

<i>Synanthedon myopaeformis</i> Species of moth

Synanthedon myopaeformis is a moth of the family Sesiidae and the order Lepidoptera. In Europe it is known as the red-belted clearwing and in North America as the apple clearwing moth. The larvae create galleries under the bark of fruit trees, especially old trees with damaged trunks. During this process, the larvae cause significant damage to host trees. Particular attention has been paid to the damage they cause to apple trees. Their status as a pest of apple orchards has led to many research projects aimed at controlling populations of the moth. This moth is native to Europe, the Near East and North Africa. Recently, the moth was introduced into North America, being first detected in Canada in 2005. There are several organisms that threaten the larvae, including parasitoids, nematodes, and bacteria.

<i>Cydalima</i> Genus of moths

Cydalima is a genus of moths of the Crambidae: Spilomelinae subfamily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gypsy moths in the United States</span> Spread of an invasive species

The gypsy moth, also known as the spongy moth, was introduced in 1868 into the United States by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, a French scientist living in Medford, Massachusetts. Because native silk-spinning caterpillars were susceptible to disease, Trouvelot imported the species in order to breed a more resistant hybrid species. Some of the moths escaped, found suitable habitat, and began breeding. The gypsy moth is now a major pest of hardwood trees in the Eastern United States.

<i>Pyralis pictalis</i> Species of moth

Pyralis pictalis, the painted meal moth or poplar pyralis, is a snout moth. It is closely related to the family's type species the meal moth and consequently belongs to the tribe Pyralini of the snout moth subfamily Pyralinae. Its native range is tropical Asia to East Asia and to Wallacea and adjacent regions, but it has been quite widely distributed by humans. The term "Poplar" in its common name does not refer to the trees, but to Poplar, London, where the type specimen – from such an introduction – was caught. It was called scarce meal moth in the original description, which is only correct for the fringes of its range however.

<i>Herpetogramma licarsisalis</i> Species of moth

Herpetogramma licarsisalis, commonly known as the grass webworm or pale sod-webworm, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae.

<i>Exorista larvarum</i> Species of fly

Exorista larvarum is a Palaearctic species of fly in the family Tachinidae.

<i>Archips cerasivorana</i> Species of moth

Archips cerasivorana, the ugly-nest caterpillar moth, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. The caterpillars of this species are known to create nests by tying the leaves of their host plant together. Within the nests, they live and feed off the leaves that have been tied together. The larvae are brownish or greenish yellow with a shiny dark brown head. Larvae can be found from May to July. The species overwinters as an egg, and pupation takes place within the nest. Caterpillars are seen to follow one another in trails, a behavior prompted by the release of signaling pheromones from their spinnerets.

<i>Herpetogramma aeglealis</i> Species of moth

Herpetogramma aeglealis, commonly known as the serpentine webworm moth, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was first described by Francis Walker in 1859 and is found in eastern North America.

The Coconut black headed caterpillar, is a species of moth found in throughout East Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, as well as Indonesia. It is considered a pest of coconut palm trees, causing considerable damage to the trees, and reducing the plant's yield significantly and can be a major problem where coconuts contribute to the economy. The species exists on coconut palms through its life stages from larval to moth, and utilizes the tree fronds as a main source of nutrition. Various methods of control have been explored, yet the primary control method is the administration of pesticides directly to the root of the coconut palms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steniini</span> Tribe of moths

Steniini is a tribe of the species-rich subfamily Spilomelinae in the pyraloid moth family Crambidae. The tribe was erected by Achille Guenée in 1854.

References

  1. "Buchsbaumzünsler (Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859))" (in German). insekten-sachsen.de. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  2. "Box tree caterpillar". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. Landwirtschaftskammer Vorarlberg: Buchsbaumzünsler wieder Aktiv. Archived 2020-04-01 at the Wayback Machine In: Obst- und Gartenkultur Vorarlberg.
  4. Fauna Europaea
  5. Mally, Richard; Nuss, Matthias (2010). "Phylogeny and nomenclature of the box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859) comb. n., which was recently introduced into Europe (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae: Spilomelinae)". European Journal of Entomology. 107 (3): 393–400. doi: 10.14411/eje.2010.048 .
  6. Sáfián, Sz.; Horváth, B. (2011). "Box Tree Moth – Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859), new member in the Lepidoptera fauna of Hungary (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)". Natura Somogyiensis. 19: 245–246.
  7. Székely, L.; Dinca, V.; Mihai, C. (2012). "Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859), a new species for the Romanian fauna (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae)". Buletin de Informare Entomologica. 22 (3–4): 73–77.
  8. Bosch, Rosa M. (2018-12-27). "Los bojedales, en peligro por una voraz oruga asiática". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  9. "Lepidoptera of Belgium". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
  10. "Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis, Lepidoptera; Crambidae), new invasive insect pest in Croatia". Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  11. http://www.dendrarium.ru/news-dendrariy/160-2013-10-17-11-38-53 Archived 2016-08-10 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
  12. "An Invasive Moth is recorded in Ontario, Canada - Observation of the Week, 9/9/18". iNaturalist. 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  13. "USDA Confirms Box Tree Moth and Takes Action to Contain and Eradicate the Pest". Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  14. Invasive caterpillar 'could spread in UK'
  15. Martini, Antonio; Di Vitantonio, Cinzia; Dindo, Maria Luisa (2019). "Acceptance and suitability of the box tree moth Cydalima perspectalis as host for the tachinid parasitoid Exorista larvarum". Bulletin of Insectology. 72 (1): 150–160.
  16. Santi, F. Radeghieri, P. Inga Sigurtà, G. Maini, S., Sex pheromone traps for detection of the invasive box tree moth in Italy (PDF), in Bulletin of Insectology, vol. 68, nº 1, Bologna, Dept. of Agroenvironmental Sciences and Technologies, 2015, pp. 158–160, ISSN 1721-8861
  17. "RHS box tree moth".