The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (ASDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has detected the box tree moth near the border of Hamilton and Clermont counties.

The box tree moth is an invasive pest from East Asia that poses a threat to box plantings and the horticultural industry, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA).

Boxwood is an important ornamental shrub important to Ohio's nursery economy.

Federal and State officials are asking the public and horticultural businesses to spot and report the box tree moth to the ODA reporting tool.

Box tree moth caterpillars are green and yellow with white, yellow and black stripes.

Adult box tree moths have brown and white color forms and are nocturnal. The form spotted in Ohio has white, slightly iridescent wings and an irregular thick brown border, according to the ODA.

Those who spot a box tree moth can report it to ODA's Division of Plant Health.