Boxwood (Buxus spp.) is one of the most commonly planted shrubs in urban landscapes across North America, and in Europe Buxus species comprise a significant portion of the forest understory. Cydalima perspectalis (colloquially known as the box tree moth) is a defoliator capable of causing mortality-inducing damage on boxwood in both natural and managed settings. Native to Asia, C. perspectalis is now established in both Europe and Canada and has been detected multiple times in the U.S. Here we review the life cycle and potential impact of C. perspectalis in Canada and the U.S. We discuss effective integrated management strategies and provide areas where management and detection could be improved. Rigorous detection systems will be crucial to preventing the establishment and future management of C. perspectalis in North America.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.