Moringa hairy caterpillar - 10/29/2024

Moringa or drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera) native to the India-Pakistan-Nepal borders is cultivated in other parts of both the old- and new-world tropics, including Asia, Africa, and South and Central America. The female Eupterote mollifera moth lays her eggs in clusters on the leaves and tender stems of the moringa tree, and the eggs hatch after 5–7 days. The Eupterote mollifera moth caterpillar, also known as the hairy caterpillar, is gregarious, feeding in groups on tree trunks during the day and dropping down onto plants at night. These caterpillars are destructive and specific pests of drumsticks (Moringa Fruit) in the Indian subcontinent. They scrape bark and gnaw foliage, and severe infestations can lead to defoliation. Full-grown caterpillars are densely poisonous and irritating hairs, which can irritate the touch. Larva are seen in groups in Moringa tree trunks and some caterpillars die white after being infected by the Isaria fungi at Tehatta, West Bengal; India on 29/10/2024.