Achaea Caterpillar - Achaea sp
Family Noctuidae
This page contains pictures and information about Croton Caterpillars and the Moths that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Wingspan 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 along a stem, where the caterpillar camouflaged as part of the stem. When we came closer to take photos, it dropped on to the ground. We found it hiding among the plant materials and brought it home. We took along with some leaves which it was 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 the Star Apple Chrysophyllum cainito. This caterpillar is known will feed on many kinds of garden and orchid plants.
- 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 was 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 any problem. This moth is known to feed on fruit juice.
- Reference:
- 1. Achaea janata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Australian Caterpillars, by Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley, 2008.
- 2. Moths of Australia - Ian F.B.Common, Melbourne University Press, 1990, p453, Fig46.10.
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