Wheeleria spilodactylus
About 100 eggs are laid by the female moth, which hatch in a few days. The baby Caterpillars bore into the developing shoots of the food plant, and work their way down onto more mature foliage. After a few weeks, they pupate, and after another few weeks, the adult moths emerge.
The Caterpillar is reported to feed on:
both in LAMIACEAE.
(Photo: courtesy of Halina Steele, Canberra)
THe moth is white with spiny legs and multilobed wings. The wings have brown dashes on a white background.
The species has been introduced deliberately into Australia from France in order to control these weeds.