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 60mm

 

 

We found this caterpillars on May 2008, near Buhot Creek, Stringybark Trail. There were quite a number of caterpillars actively feeding the host plants during the day. We did not found the moth yet.

 

 

Robert Whyte advised that the host plant is a weed in Brisbane - Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis) - it would be very good if something could eat it all. The seeds contain the Ricin, a protein toxin. Ingestion of 2 to 8 seeds has resulted in death in adults.

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We found one large caterpillar on 3 May 2009. We believe it would became pupa very soon so we took  it home with some host leaves. After two days it became a pupa in a rather scant silk cocoon.

 

 

On 3 Jun 2009, a moth came out from the pupa.

 

 

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Reference:

1. Achaea janata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Australian Caterpillars, by Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley, 2008.

2. Ricinis communis (EUPHORBIACEAE) Castor oil plant - by Robert Whyte, Save Our Waterways Now 2008. 

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Last updated: June 06, 2009.