While living in Puerto Rico as an expat, I came across this half eaten shrub in front of my house. This was an odd sight on a vibrant island that was full of sunshine and tropical showers. It also grabbed my attention as earlier in the week, I had noticed that the plant had been thriving. I stopped to examine it's withered stems and half eaten leaves but before I could take a closer look, a large but beautiful fluorescent black, red and indigo-colored moth with white spots landed on the front of my shirt. As it began climbing toward my neck I began to panic and swiped it off as fast as I could. I quickly jogged a few steps away and watched as it briefly fluttered about in the air and then landed on the tattered bush. To my knowledge, moths and butterflies only consumed nectar and sugar water. Could it be that this mysterious moth had eaten this whole bush in a week? Common sense told me that was a far-fetched and impossible thought.
As I stood from a distance admiring the resting moth, I noticed an infestation of bright orange and white spotted caterpillars in the struggling plant! They looked like something out of a mad scientists lab! They looked like cheez doodles that had come to life! As they devoured the shrub I noticed that they had white spots just like the moth! They also had thick, black, hair-like projections. They looked poisonous so I took care not to touch them but this is the photo that I took of the caterpillars feasting on the plant.
I did some research and discovered that the moth and it's caterpillars are called the Spotted Oleander Moth/Spotted Oleander Caterpillar. They feast on Oleander plants and are considered a pest in the U.S. They are found in tropical climates and only feast on this particular plant. I wish that I had taken more photos of the caterpillars and the moth. I hope to return to Puerto Rico and see this beautiful moth again some day!
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