Moth – Palpita sp.

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

21-12-2010 – Collected a caterpillar

The edges of the leaf was folded with silk threads coming from the mouth of the caterpillar and the caterpillar was inside the leaf

Eating only the inner part of the leaf

24-12-2010 – Become pupa

26-12-2010 – The pupa was partially covered with small white cocoons. It may be parasite.

28-12-2010 – Emerged in the noon

It were wasps, 27 in number

27-12-2010 -   Collected another caterpillar

There are so many shrubs there and having two or three caterpillar in each plant

04-01-2011 – Become pupa

06-01-2011 – Brown colour of the pupa increased some more and green colour to the position of the wings

07-01-2011 – Emerged in the morning at 7.00

Cream coloured liquid oozes out

From 9.00 AM a hairy portion is pushes out and pulled back. This is continued for hours

Pupa case after emerging

Host Plant : Tabernae montanaI

Koonampala (in Malayalam)

Same caterpillar is seen in Mimusops elengi (Elengi in Malalyalam) plant also.