Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland

Pryeria sinica pupa Pryeria sinica moth May 19, 2005 UPDATE The larvae are now finishing up their ravenous feeding frenzy and are looking for a sheltered place to pupate (the flattened brown cocoon in the picture on the right, below) where they will remain until latter this fall. Our field surveys and homeowner reports have verified that it is still contained in the Glen Burnie, Harundale, Severna Park area of Anne Arundel County. Please contact us if you detect this pest outside of this area. The map below shows the 2004 survey activity.

October 20, 2004 UPDATE
Pryeria moths are expected to emerge in November. MDA is attempting to delimit the populations of this emerging pest. Marylanders are asked to contact Dick Bean at MDA (410) 841-2743 if you see pupae now, or moths in late October/November.

May 30, 2003
New Moth Found in Maryland on Ornamentals
Pryeria sinica larva

Moth larvae brought in to the Plant Protection & Weed Management (PP&WM) Section insect diagnostic laboratory by a concerned homeowner have been identified as Pryeria sinica.

In April and May of both 2001 and 2002, a homeowner in the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, Virginia, noticed a large infestation of larvae on her ornamental Euonymus (Celastraceae); the larvae were causing significant defoliation of the plants. In May 2002, several larval specimens were sent to the Insect Identification Lab, Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, Virginia for identification. The entomologist there (Eric Day) reared the larvae to adults, which emerged in November. Additional adults were collected at the Fairfax site in December 2002 and submitted to the Insect Identification Lab. Eric forwarded the adults to John Brown at the USDA Systematic Entomological Laboratory (SEL) in March 2003. Based on the available literature, comparison with specimens in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, and consultation with Dr. Marc Epstein, the specimens were identified as Pryeria sinica Moore (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae), which previously is unreported from the United States.

Pryeria sinica infestation A detailed report of the discovery was sent out by Eric Day in early May. This report was distributed to the PP&WM staff, including Gaye Williams of the section's Entomology Laboratory. When Shawn Johnson of Glen Burnie walked in with a jar of caterpillars May 28, 2003 that had been defoliating the euonymus in his yard, Gaye instantly came up with the match. Final confirmation has been provided by SEL.