Have you seen the box tree caterpillar?

The hunt is on to map the whereabouts of the box tree caterpillar (Cydalima perspectalis) before it causes damage to the UK's native plants.

The RHS and the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) are calling on gardeners to offer a helping hand and report any instances of the caterpillar.

Common in Europe, the box tree caterpillar has caused complete defoliation of ornamental box plants in Germany but in the Netherlands the damage has been less severe.

Dr Andrew Salisbury, RHS senior entomologist, said: "It is important for us to monitor this caterpillar’s movement. Knowing how quickly it is spreading and what plants it has been found on could help us develop ways of managing this pest."

This native of East Asia eats the leaves of box plants and has been reported for the first time in British private gardens.

Adult moths have been recorded in southern England since 2008, but its caterpillars had only been found at one commercial nursery in Surrey in 2009 and 2010.

In May 2011 the RHS received the first specimens from private gardens in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

"Box plants can be totally defoliated by this moth’s caterpillars and there is also a threat to our uncommon native box plants such as those on Box Hill in Surrey," Dr Andrew Salisbury said.

"This is yet another problem for box in the UK which is already suffering from diseases such as box blight."

FERA has a downloadable .pdf available on its Plant Pest and Disease Factsheets section of its website about the box tree caterpillar.

Comments

[Dharamn Haworth]

We have many of these caterpillars on our small willow tree. We live in Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire.
What should we do ?

[Hampus]

My Plants have been decimated. Se1 London

[Lyn berry]

I'm in EN3 5HS my plants have been ruined by these caterpillars.

[adrian mepsted]

I live in Harlow Essex & my box hedges outside the front of my house are being destroyed by these caterpillars.
Any help please

[M Heler]

We have seen this caterpillar in Stoke-on-Trent.