Glyphodes perspectalis ツゲノメイガ (Shige no mei Ga)
Description: 20-24mm long adults. This moth displays notable iridescence on both sides of its wings, large dark eyes, and slim clean legs.The body is white on top with dark brown at the tip of the abdomen and on the underside of the abdomen.
The wings are primarily white and translucent with dark brown edges all around, including a dark brown stripe on the upper side of the underwing that is visible on both sides of the animal. This is an easy way to differentiate it from Cydalima perspectalis which lacks this brown diagonal edge. A small white “crescent moon” is visible in the brown edge of the forewing on both the upper and underside of the animal.
A similar species, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cydalima_perspectalis (notably lacking the diagonal dark bar along the wing edge), also native to Asia, has been introduced into Europe and is sometimes considered a pest on boxwood trees and shrubs there.
Distribution: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Tsushima, Tanegashima, Yakushima, Okinawa Islands main island of Okinawa; Korea, China, India
Season: Adults emerge in two summer flights, from June-July and August-September.
Larvae: Last instar is about 35mm long and primarily green with horizontal black stripes from head to tail. Round dark ‘nodules’ are present on each body segment. Larvae tend to lay down a lot of silk while feeding and, in younger instars, only eat the outer layer of the leaves, ignoring the veins. These leaves later dry out and die. Later instars will eat the entire leaf.
Host Plants: Boxwood trees and shrubs (Buxus).
