What do they look like? The caterpillars can be indentified by the 4 tufts of hair on their backs an the pair of long thin tufts of black hairs on their head. At full size the caterpillars reach around 30mm long. Adult moths have a wingspan of around 25mm with mottled brown forewings and deep yellow hindwings.
What do they do? These caterpillars are native to Australia and traditionally feed on wattles, however they have adapted to eating many exotic species also. They can be a problem in orchards in apple growing regions. The caterpillar pictured is snacking on some Wisteria leaves.
Can we live with them? If there are just one or 2 than yes, we can tolerate them. If their numbers get to a size where they are causing extensive damage then something must be done.
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