These can be found throughout New Zealand. The adult moth is large (45-millimetre wingspan) and sooty-coloured, and flies at night laying eggs from about December to March. The larvae become caterpillars 50 millimetres long. They feed on the foliage of a wide variety of plants, including pasture species such as lucerne and clover, as well as maize, tomatoes, corn, beans and brassicas.
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Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University
Photograph by Terry Stewart
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