Box Tree Moth vs Garden Grass-veneer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Box Tree Moth Garden Grass-veneer
Scientific Name Cydalima perspectalis Chrysoteuchia culmella
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Crambidae Crambidae
Size 35-45 mm wingspan 20-26 mm wingspan
Habitat Gardens Gardens
Diet Wood Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Native to East Asia; invasive in Europe and North America Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Box Tree Moth

A white moth with iridescent brown wing borders that has become one of Europe's most destructive invasive species. Its caterpillars can completely defoliate ornamental boxwood hedges.

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Did You Know?

Since arriving in Europe around 2007, it has devastated centuries-old boxwood gardens across the continent.

Garden Grass-veneer

A small straw-colored moth with a silvery sheen and prominent labial palps forming a snout. It is one of the commonest grass moths in European lawns.

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Did You Know?

Hundreds can be flushed from a single patch of lawn when walking through grass at dusk.