Invasive box tree moth found on Long Island; NYS seeking reports
The box tree moth, a pest native to China and Korea, has been spotted in Nassau County. It poses a threat to boxwood plantings. Credit: Cornell CALS
A white and brown moth that begins life as a black and green caterpillar has begun eating its way through Nassau County, feasting on evergreen shrubs and small trees known as box plants, in a new infestation — the first outside of an upstate quarantine zone that had contained the species since 2024.
The New York State Department of Agriculture said Tuesday that the discovery of the box tree moth in Nassau is the first in the state outside of 34 upstate counties, where a quarantine zone has been in place since the moth and the caterpillars were first discovered in the state in 2021. The quarantine had been effective since 2024.
The state is asking residents who spot the moth to report it to authorities. An online reporting tool can be found here.
Experts believe the pest, which is native to northern China and Korea and devours boxwood plantings, was first carried across the U.S.-Canada border near Ontario via a storm. The federal quarantine prohibited the export of boxwood nursery stock from those upstate counties.
The Department of Agriculture did not immediately detail where in Nassau the new infestation had been discovered or how they believe the caterpillars and moths made it to Nassau.
The moths were first discovered outside of Asia in 2006, when an initial spread to Europe was discovered — an infestation there growing over the subsequent 15 years and spreading across the continent, according to experts at the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The invasive insect causes more than $140 million in damage annually to hedges and evergreen shrubs, threatening heritage sites, landscaping and the boxwood nursery trade due to the destruction of plants eaten and left to die as the moth moves through its quick life cycle, leaving brown and "scorched" shrubs and plants in its wake, according to Cornell.
Making matters worse, the insects overwinter as caterpillars that can survive temperatures as low as minus-22 degrees, experts said.
Adult moths are white, outlined in brown along all edges — though a fully brown "melanated" variant also exists. Adult moths have a wingspan of about 1½ inches.
A telltale sign of infestation is a "webbing" the caterpillars create as they move among plants, creating almost a net effect among plants, which then appear scorched.
Officials said state agriculture inspectors are "working closely" with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to trap moths in high-risk areas. Anyone detecting the caterpillars or moths on their property should contact the local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or visit the New York State Integrated Pest Management website to file a report, the officials said.
"The recent detection of the Box Tree Moth in Nassau County shows why it's important that we act fast to limit the spread of this invasive pest," State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said in a statement, adding: "Box tree moth can cause significant damage to boxwood plants, which are widely used on Long Island and important to New York's horticultural and nursery industry."
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
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