The state Department of Agriculture and Markets has confirmed the detection of box tree moth in parts of Western New York, near the Canadian border in Niagara County.

Box tree moth is an invasive pest from East Asia that poses a threat to the boxwood plant, an ornamental shrub that is a valuable part of the U.S. nursery industry, with an annual economic impact estimated at $141 million. State officials are asking residents and the horticultural industry to spot and report the box tree moth to the department through its reporting tool at arcg.is/1Df8Se.

“The box tree moth is a highly destructive pest that is a threat to the health of our boxwood plants,” said Richard Ball, state agriculture commissioner. “We are asking residents to help aid in our efforts to find the box tree moth so that we can better assess impacted areas and reduce its spread in New York state.”

In July, state officials detected five adult box tree moths in various locations in Niagara County. Because they were detected near the Canadian border, it appears the moths may have flown or been blown into the area from Canada.

Agriculture and Markets Division of Plant Industry staff started surveying for the invasive pest in high-risk areas in Niagara County when the United States Department of Agriculture reported that boxwood plants imported from Canada this past spring could have been infested with the box tree moth. The host plants in Niagara County where the adult moths were trapped were damaged due to flooding.

In addition, on Aug. 6, an Agriculture and Markets inspector in Niagara County received a referral from the state Department of Environmental Conservation regarding the presence of box tree moth larvae in a residential landscape in Youngstown, N.Y. The inspector visited the site and collected several larvae, which have since been confirmed as box tree moth by Cornell University and USDA’s National Identification Services.

The Agriculture and Markets department and USDA are continuing to survey for box tree moth and are urging residents and the horticultural industry to look for and report any signs of infestation. Residents can help by following these steps:

¯ Check any boxwood plants for signs of box tree moth life stages.

¯ Those who find any signs of infestation should take a picture and report it to arcg.is/1Df8Se.

¯ Cooperate with agriculture officials if asked for permission to access a property for visual inspection of boxwood plants or for placement of a box tree moth trap.

Box tree moth larvae are easily recognizable; they are green and yellow with white, yellow, and black stripes and black spots. Signs of damage may not appear at the beginning of an infestation because young larvae hide among twigs and leaves. Signs of a box tree moth feeding on a plant include chewed, cut, or missing leaves, yellowing or brown leaves, white webbing, and green-black excrement on or around the plant. Larvae skeletonize the leaves and feed on the bark, causing defoliation and dryness, eventually leading to the plant’s death.

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