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Box tree caterpillar


Image of Box tree caterpillar

Description

Small (4cm) adult moths have white wings with a brown border, but wings may all brown or all clear. The caterpillars have a black head are greenish/yellow with thick black stripe and thin white stripes running along their body. They feed on the leaves of box plants.

Symptoms

The pale yellow flattish eggs are laid sheet-like, overlapping each other on the underside of box leaves, followed by white webbing amongst the leaves and shoots covering the 4cm long caterpillars feeding on the box leaves, and causing severe defoliation. Badly affected plants may show areas of dieback.

What next...

Now you know what the problem is, and the damage it is doing, don't let your plant suffer.

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