Croton Caterpillar - Achaea janata
Family Noctuidae
This page contains pictures and information about Croton Caterpillars and the Moths that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Length 70mm
- The caterpillar is pale brown in colour. Its head is black with two white spots. There are a pair of red knobs near its tail. On each side of the caterpillar there are the brown orange marks on each spiracles. The caterpillar walk in looper style.
- The caterpillar was found resting and covering along a stem, where the caterpillar mimicking part of the stem. When we came closer to take photos, it dropped to the ground. We found it on the ground among the plant materials and brought it home with those leaves it feeding on.
- The plant was about 2 meters high, with soft leaves as shown in the pictures. The bottom side of the leaves were either silvery grey or golden brown in colour. Later we saw a similar plant in Botanic Garden. It was a Star Apple Chrysophyllum cainito.
- Pupa inside leaves Moth wingspan 70mm
- The caterpillar made its pupa among three leaves. Two weeks later, the adult moth came out from the pupa. The moth is dark brown in colour with distinctive black and white patterns on it hind wings. The moth in the above pictures, for some reasons, its right front wing was a bit deformed. Anyway, the moth flied away without problem.
