So sad that this is a non native invasive pest species.

There is no evidence to date that this species is deserving of "pest" status. Little is known of the larval biology, but a significant number of pupae were collected from beneath the bark of rotting logs where larvae are also thought to feed. There is some evidence from Asia where the moth is native and from a recent study done at Ashton, MD (suburban Washington, DC) that this species is adapted to conditions created by true "pest species" in the genus Synanthedon (borer moths affecting numerous tree species).

This record from Tidewater Virginia is the southernmost in the United States of which I am aware. Steve Nanz has photographed the moth at Brooklyn, NY, and it is now known from many points in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. It was first brought to light in photos taken in my yard at Bowie, MD in 2004. When I showed the photos to my advisor, John Glaser, he discovered a single unidentified specimen in his collection taken in 2002 about 15 miles from where I live. John later collected a series and deposited them in the National Museum.

The results of later research conducted at Ashton, MD has been published by D. Adamski, G.F. Hevel and A. Pultyniewicz in Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 111(1), 2009, pp. 204-214. The authors graciously mention "biophotographers" whose photos are found at BugGuide and stress the importance of enthusiastic amateurs to modern scientific investigations.

this up. I recently found another one attracted to my porch light but didn't take images of it. Very beautiful moth and easy to spot.