Box Tree Moth

Box Tree Moth

Cydalima perspectalis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Shanghai

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~80%

95 Verified sightings at Shanghai
429 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Box Tree Moth

Cydalima perspectalis, the box moth or box tree moth, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae that feeds on box. It was first described by Francis Walker, the English entomologist, in 1859. It is native to China, Taiwan, Korea, and India; its native status in Japan and the Russian far east is uncertain, some sources saying native, but others saying possibly invasive there. It has invaded Europe; first recorded in Germany in 2006, then Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Switzerland in 2007, France and Austria in 2009, Hungary in 2011, then Romania in 2012, Denmark in 2013, and Spain in 2014. It has also been recorded in Slovakia, Belgium, and Croatia.

During preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in 2012, it was introduced accidentally from Italy to Sochi, European Russia, with planting stock of Buxus sempervirens. The following year it defoliated local native box populations extensively.

The eggs are 1 mm in diameter, flat, pale yellow-green, and placed in clusters under green leaves without herbivory present. The larvae emerging from the egg are about 1–2 mm long... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~30%
2 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
3 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
4 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
5 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
2 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~30%
3 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
4 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark
~20%
5 Nanchang 🇨🇳 China
~20%
6 Jinan 🇨🇳 China
~20%
7 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
8 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
9 Shanghai 🇨🇳 China
~20%
10 Dublin 🇮🇪 Ireland
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Box Tree Moth in Shanghai?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Box Tree Moth sighting in Shanghai on a given day, based on 95 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 13th most-seen of the 215 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Box Tree Moth in Shanghai?

August and September

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Box Tree Moth in Shanghai on a given day, against under 5% in February–March and December, the lowest months. Those are among Shanghai's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain a month against 55 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Box Tree Moth?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Box Tree Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Shanghai the best place to see a Box Tree Moth?

9th of 51

Of the 51 cities where we can rate Box Tree Moth sightings, Shanghai ranks 9th at about 20%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 40%), London (United Kingdom, about 30%) and Manchester (United Kingdom, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Box Tree Moth live in Shanghai?

Same family: Crambidae

The closest relatives of the Box Tree Moth that you can see in Shanghai (family Crambidae, Crambid Snout Moths) are Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth (about 10%), Cucumber Moth (about 10%) and Mung Bean Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Box Tree Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Box Tree Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Shanghai (95 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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