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Spodoptera litura
Cluster caterpillar - Noctuidae family. This one has a smooth body with no protrusions and very few hairs, approx. 40-45mm long, red and yellow spots/stripes, very dark triangular patches above each spot, longer red stripe on lower body. Very fine white spots over much of its body. Abdominal prolegs. Found on Fishbone Fern - Nephrolepis cordifolia, a prolific fern in SEQ, although this caterpillar was showing no signs of feeding on it. It possibly fell off another plant or is looking a place to pupate. There is another species of moth that is recorded as feeding on Nephrolepis cordifolia, Callopistria maillardi, which is also a Noctuidae but it isn’t this particular species.
Not yet known.
Have looked at hundreds of caterpillars on various sites to no avail, but a contact at the Queensland Museum has confirmed this caterpillar is of the Noctuidae family. Unfortunately with so many of these caterpillars, it is difficult to associate it with a moth until it pupates and the moth emerges.
Wiki says they feed on over 40 different dicotyledonous plant families. I think that means flowering plants. Begonias are probably far tastier than dry old fishbone ferns, but each caterpillar to their own. Plenty of other flowering plants around the garden, so this chap may just have been in transit. Thanks again for the ID :-)
Very Welcome Neil! But the strange thing is that I found this caterpillar feed on Begonia, not on Fishbone Fern.. :D
Thank you so much, Jason. I'd all but given up on this one. You're a champion :-)
Thanks for the suggestion, Argy. I've sent a request to the Queensland Museum, and have included photos. Hopefully they can provide an answer as to what this beastie is. 10 working days, or so they say.
I will just have to keep on searching. I'll never be an entomologist, that's for sure.
Spotted on Feb 12, 2011
Submitted on May 11, 2013
