Heortia vitessoides

The caterpillars of this species are pale green with a broad knobbly black line along each side. Their head is brown. The caterpillars have been found feeding on :

• Sumac ( Rhus, ANACARDIACEAE ) and
• Agarwood ( Aquilaria malaccensis, THYMELACEAE ).

On the latter, it is a pest. The caterpillars live in a group in a shelter made by joining a number of leaves together with silk. The caterpillars drop on silk threads if disturbed.

When mature, the caterpillars descend and pupate in the soil.

The adults have a striking pattern on the forewings of black on pale yellow. The hindwings are white with a broad black margin. The moths have a yellow and black banded abdomen. The wingspan is about 3 cms.

The eggs are yellowish-green, and are flattened. They are laid in an overlapping cluster, like tiles on a roof.

Control of the pest has being attempted using:

This species is found in south-east Asia, including

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 9.45, p. 354.