The common name, ailanthus silkmoth, refers to the host plant "Ailanthus". It causes verticillium wilt in some plant species, particularly "Ailanthus altissima". The larvae mainly feed on "Ailanthus altissima", "Prunus laurocerasus", "Ligustrum" and "Syringa" species. It feeds on plants such as "Ailanthus altissima", "Juglans regia", "Zanthoxylum simulans", and "Quercus glauca". Major invasive plant species include Japanese knotweed, Norway Maple, and Ailanthus. Another important host of "V. nonalfalfae" is "Ailanthus altissima," also known as tree of heavens. The hostplant for the species is "Ailanthus excelsa". Ailanthus integrifolia, white siris, is a tree in the family Simaroubaceae. Larvae feed on "Machilus", "Prunus" and "Ailanthus" species. Eligma narcissus, the ailanthus defoliator, is a moth in the family Nolidae. Other Lepidoptera whose larvae feed on "Ailanthus" include "Endoclita malabaricus". "Ailanthus integrifolia" grows naturally in India, Vietnam, Malesia and Papuasia. The Ailanthus webworm moth, (Atteva fabriciella), is a moth of the family Attevidae. The tree of the film's title has been identified as an "ailanthus glandulosa". Therefore, this species has been proposed as a possible biocontrol for ailanthus in the Americas.