Small cream-colored caterpillars with black stripes chewing the edges of euonymus leaves.

Euonymus leaf notcher caterpillars and their feeding damage on euonymus foliage.
Photo: Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org

Updated: May 8, 2026

Key points

  • Euonymus leaf notcher (Pryeria sinica) is a species of moth native to Eastern Asia. It was first discovered in the U.S. in 2001 in Fairfax, Virginia. It is currently found in both Virginia and Maryland.
  • The caterpillars can defoliate euonymus (in particular, Euonymus japonicus and Euonymus kiautschovicus 'Manhattan' shrubs) and bittersweet vines (Celastrus).
  • Euonymus usually recovers from euonymus leaf notcher damage, even if no control measures are taken. After the caterpillars are finished feeding (typically March through May), euonymus plants have time to grow new leaves.

Identification

  • Eggs: The taupe-colored eggs are laid in clusters of 100 to 200 eggs on the tips of euonymus twigs or the underside of euonymus leaves. Each egg cluster is covered in fine hairs (setae) from the adult moth.
  • Larvae: Caterpillars are light greenish-yellow with multiple black lengthwise stripes.
  • Adults: The moths have black and orange hairy bodies and distinctive clear wings with dark wing venation. Males have black feathery (plumose/bipectinate) antennae and females have black thread-like (filiform) antennae. Unlike many moths, which are nocturnal, euonymus leaf notcher moths are active during the day. Some people may mistake this moth for a wasp due to its appearance.
  • Damage: The caterpillars chew leaves, initially skeletonizing or shredding the leaves, and as the caterpillars grow larger, leaving distinctive notched (chewed) leaf margins. Since these caterpillars feed in groups, extensive feeding can lead to defoliation.

Life cycle

  • Euonymus leaf notcher has one generation per year in Virginia and Maryland.
  • Eggs typically hatch mid-March or early April (37 growing degree days).
  • Caterpillars are gregarious (feed in groups) on euonymus leaves, progressing from skeletonizing to notching (feeding on the margins of leaves) and defoliating leaves as the caterpillars grow. Young caterpillars may create silk webs around the tips of plant stems.
  • Caterpillars will begin to disperse around mid-May, leaving their host plant in preparation for pupation. The caterpillars will pupate inside brown cocoons found in leaf litter, on plant stems and leaves, and on hard surfaces.
  • Adult moths emerge from their cocoons around October to mate and lay eggs. The adults are active during the day and can typically be seen until early December.
  • Egg clusters are laid on pencil-thickness stems near the ends of branches or on the underside of leaves. Eggs overwinter and hatch early the following spring.
A dense cluster of pale brown eggs lightly covered with hairs, extending over an inch on a young euonymus stem.
Cluster of euonymus leaf notcher eggs on a euonymus stem.
Photo: Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org
A light greenish-yellow caterpillar with multiple black longitudinal strips and wispy hairs.
Euonymus leaf notcher caterpillars have a pale greenish-cream color with black strips and a scattering of fine white hairs.
Photo via Adobe Stock.
A cluster of about two dozen caterpillars on the underside of a plucked leaf.
Aggregation of euonymus leaf notcher caterpillars on the underside of euonymus leaves.
Photo: Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org
Multiple leaves on a euonymus shrub with chewed and ragged-looking edges.
Damage from euonymus leaf notcher caterpillar feeding on a euonymus shrub.
Photo: Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org
Clusters of caterpillars underneath several leaves of a euonymus shrub.
Euonymus leaf notcher caterpillars feed in groups, and may be hidden on the undersides of the foliage.
Photo via Adobe Stock.
Numerous caterpillars wandering around on the thick stems of a mature shrub.
Euonymus leaf notcher caterpillars may wander off of the host plant as they finish feeding.
Photo via Ask Extension.
A somewhat-shiny, pale brown silken cocoon nestled into the curve of a leaf.
Euonymus leaf notcher cocoons can be spun on the foliage of non-host plants.
Photo: Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org
brown cocoons of euonymus leaf notcher
Several euonymus leaf notcher cocoons on the underside of a euonymus leaf.
Photo: Michael Raupp, University of Maryland
A furry orange and black moth with smoky-clear wings sitting on a white surface.
Adult euonymus leaf notcher moth. Photo via Adobe Stock.
A person holding a euonymus branch with three euonymus leaf notcher moths and two egg clusters.
Euonymus leaf notcher moths mating and laying eggs on a euonymus stem. The egg cluster is lightly coated with hairs from the moth's body.
Photo: Alonso Abugattas, Capital Naturalist

Euonymus leaf notcher management

brown moth with black behind - euonymus leaf notcher
Euonymus leaf notcher (adult). Photo: (c) Kirill Kryukov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • Euonymus shrubs that are otherwise healthy typically recover from euonymus leaf notcher chewing damage, even if no control measures are taken. This is because euonymus plants have time to regrow their leaves after the caterpillar life stage is finished.
  • Look for egg clusters in the winter and crush them or prune them off and destroy them.
  • From March through May, caterpillars can be removed with gloved hands or pruners.
  • With heavy infestations, chemical controls like Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis variety kurstaki), horticultural oil, or insecticidal soap could be applied to the young caterpillars.
  • From Mid-May until October, the leaf litter under infested euonymus plants can be raked up and discarded to remove any euonymus leaf notcher pupae/cocoons. Any cocoons discovered on plant materials could be trimmed off and destroyed.

Additional resources

Euonymus Leaf Notcher | Maryland Biodiversity Project

Euonymus Leaf Notcher | iNaturalist

Be on the Lookout for One Slowly-Moving Invasive Pest: Euonymus Leaf Notcher, Pryeria sinica | Bug of the Week blog

Author: Madeline Potter, Faculty Specialist - Entomology/IPM, University of Maryland Extension. May 2024.

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