CALIFORNIA, Md. — The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have confirmed the state’s first detection of the box tree moth, a destructive invasive species known to damage and kill boxwood shrubs.
The insect was found at Fort Frederick State Park in Washington County, prompting state park staff to begin removing and destroying infected plants to help contain the outbreak.
Native to East Asia, the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) feeds primarily on boxwood leaves and bark. The pest can produce multiple generations each year and, if left unchecked, can cause complete defoliation and death of the plant…