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Box tree moth adult, Heesch, Netherlands Well well well. The two most prominent moths I found during my moth light trap last weekend also happen to be the two main pests. First, there&#039;s this:<br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63356/oak_processionary_imago_heesch_netherlands.html" title="Oak Processionary imago, Heesch, Netherlands"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/63356_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1687392010&Signature=f99kIyF%2FtjRxCVn44JdypTT79Jk%3D" width="136" height="152" alt="Oak Processionary imago, Heesch, Netherlands This photo is the result of Lisa and Christine putting in motion Moth Week. For the first time, it made me try out a little moth trapping exercise in the garden. An extremely simple setup: white blanket sheet on the wall, illuminated with a strong light. <br /> <br /> My expectations were low. Because the area we live in has many light sources, our garden being small and fully renewed this spring, and very likely I&#039;m using the wrong light (I&#039;ve read success rate dramatically increases with light of a specific wavelength that more closely resembles that of the sun). <br /> <br /> I had a spectacular start. First, I duck-taped the sheet to the wall, but it kept collapsing. Then I used screws to hold it in place. When trying to hang the light on one of the screws, I dropped it, and I cut my thumb on the shatters. Replacing the light bulb after the bleeding, it started to rain. We&#039;ve had a record breaking drought for 2 months, yet at this very moment it started raining, endangering this open electricity that includes a very hot lamp.<br /> <br /> Persisting some more, the rain was gone, and the second I turned on the light and turned of all other lights, immediately this one appears. The morning after, only now do I realize its the infamous Oak Processionary in its adult form. The caterpillar of this moth is considered a severe pest to people, and as soon as they are found, the tree is treated with a fluid poisonous only to this species. Furthermore, blue tit birds, which we have a lot of around the garden, deliver biological pest control.<br /> <br /> Somehow this individual survived all that and made it to adulthood. I respect that. On the light:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63377/oak_processionary_imago_-_front_view_heesch_netherlands.html Europe,Heesch,Moth Week 2018,Moths,Netherlands,Oak Processionary,Thaumetopoea processionea" /></a></figure><br /> <br /> Infamous throughout the Netherlands. And this box tree moth is locally even more infamous. It is a fairly recently introduced Asian species that is spreading like wildfire as dutch people have exactly the plants they need in their gardens and the species has not yet encountered any serious natural enemies, although birds are adding the larvae to their diets. <br /> <br /> In the small town where I live, this species&#039; impact is extremely visible. Pretty much any buxus plant (not sure if that translates to english) is reduced to shatters. <br /> <br /> And just like with the other find of the oak processionary, they are stunning creatures to see as adults.<br /> <br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63709/box_tree_moth_adult_-_front_view_heesch_netherlands.html" title="Box tree moth adult - front view, Heesch, Netherlands"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/63709_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1687392010&Signature=ovQfr0JJzJy3kUvFS6PMtSLttZI%3D" width="200" height="130" alt="Box tree moth adult - front view, Heesch, Netherlands Well well well. The two most prominent moths I found during my moth light trap last weekend also happen to be the two main pests. First, there&#039;s this:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63356/oak_processionary_imago_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> <br /> Infamous throughout the Netherlands. And this box tree moth is locally even more infamous. It is a fairly recently introduced Asian species that is spreading like wildfire as dutch people have exactly the plants they need in their gardens and the species has not yet encountered any serious natural enemies, although birds are adding the larvae to their diets. <br /> <br /> In the small town where I live, this species&#039; impact is extremely visible. Pretty much any buxus plant (not sure if that translates to english) is reduced to shatters. <br /> <br /> And just like with the other find of the oak processionary, they are stunning creatures to see as adults.<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63707/box_tree_moth_adult_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Box tree moth,Cydalima perspectalis,Europe,Heesch,Moth Week 2018,Netherlands,World" /></a></figure><br /> Box tree moth,Cydalima perspectalis,Europe,Heesch,Moth Week 2018,Netherlands,World Click/tap to enlarge Country intro

Box tree moth adult, Heesch, Netherlands

Well well well. The two most prominent moths I found during my moth light trap last weekend also happen to be the two main pests. First, there's this:

Oak Processionary imago, Heesch, Netherlands This photo is the result of Lisa and Christine putting in motion Moth Week. For the first time, it made me try out a little moth trapping exercise in the garden. An extremely simple setup: white blanket sheet on the wall, illuminated with a strong light. <br /> <br /> My expectations were low. Because the area we live in has many light sources, our garden being small and fully renewed this spring, and very likely I'm using the wrong light (I've read success rate dramatically increases with light of a specific wavelength that more closely resembles that of the sun). <br /> <br /> I had a spectacular start. First, I duck-taped the sheet to the wall, but it kept collapsing. Then I used screws to hold it in place. When trying to hang the light on one of the screws, I dropped it, and I cut my thumb on the shatters. Replacing the light bulb after the bleeding, it started to rain. We've had a record breaking drought for 2 months, yet at this very moment it started raining, endangering this open electricity that includes a very hot lamp.<br /> <br /> Persisting some more, the rain was gone, and the second I turned on the light and turned of all other lights, immediately this one appears. The morning after, only now do I realize its the infamous Oak Processionary in its adult form. The caterpillar of this moth is considered a severe pest to people, and as soon as they are found, the tree is treated with a fluid poisonous only to this species. Furthermore, blue tit birds, which we have a lot of around the garden, deliver biological pest control.<br /> <br /> Somehow this individual survived all that and made it to adulthood. I respect that. On the light:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63377/oak_processionary_imago_-_front_view_heesch_netherlands.html Europe,Heesch,Moth Week 2018,Moths,Netherlands,Oak Processionary,Thaumetopoea processionea


Infamous throughout the Netherlands. And this box tree moth is locally even more infamous. It is a fairly recently introduced Asian species that is spreading like wildfire as dutch people have exactly the plants they need in their gardens and the species has not yet encountered any serious natural enemies, although birds are adding the larvae to their diets.

In the small town where I live, this species' impact is extremely visible. Pretty much any buxus plant (not sure if that translates to english) is reduced to shatters.

And just like with the other find of the oak processionary, they are stunning creatures to see as adults.

Box tree moth adult - front view, Heesch, Netherlands Well well well. The two most prominent moths I found during my moth light trap last weekend also happen to be the two main pests. First, there's this:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63356/oak_processionary_imago_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> <br /> Infamous throughout the Netherlands. And this box tree moth is locally even more infamous. It is a fairly recently introduced Asian species that is spreading like wildfire as dutch people have exactly the plants they need in their gardens and the species has not yet encountered any serious natural enemies, although birds are adding the larvae to their diets. <br /> <br /> In the small town where I live, this species' impact is extremely visible. Pretty much any buxus plant (not sure if that translates to english) is reduced to shatters. <br /> <br /> And just like with the other find of the oak processionary, they are stunning creatures to see as adults.<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63707/box_tree_moth_adult_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Box tree moth,Cydalima perspectalis,Europe,Heesch,Moth Week 2018,Netherlands,World

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The Box tree moth

Cydalima perspectalis or the box tree moth is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It is native to eastern Asia (Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, the Russian Far East and India) and introduced in Europe.

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Similar species: Moths And Butterflies
Species identified by Ferdy Christant
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By Ferdy Christant

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Uploaded Jul 26, 2018. Captured Jul 21, 2018 23:23.
country flag of Netherlands Explore Netherlands 8,148 2,268 0
  • NIKON D850
  • f/16.0
  • 1/60s
  • ISO64
  • 105mm