Problem with butterfly caterpillars

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

Evening, leaves are fine. Morning leaves are like these, most of them on top. This is my tabernaemontana plant. There will be a greeinsh little caterpillar inside this. They stick the ends of the leaves like this to fold it and make a shelter while it eats the leaf from inside without being noticed by predators. It's a great problem as it spoils most of the leaves but it luckily comes for a few days soon after the rainy days around this time of the year, every year. I don't look for any remedy as of now as they tend to get in control themselves. and I allow it to go on as one gardener told that it was uncontrolable. Any such problems faced by others here on DG? And this one prefers only the Tabernaemontana plant!! So selective.

Dinu

Thumbnail by Dinu
mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

dinu, i believe it's a moth cat, not a butterfly. we call them leaf-rollers and they are all over the u.s., though maybe different kinds.

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

This is the same, found on my ginger plant. IT had done the same, folded the leaf and living inside, eating from the edges. IT is bigger, about 3 cms long.

Thumbnail by Dinu
mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

it looks like something in the family of canna leaf rollers. the only thing i've found that stops them (without harming everything else) is BT sprayed on at 10 day intervals.

The Woodlands, TX(Zone 9a)

Trackin is right on, Dinu. (Hi ya - Trackin!) Bt sprayed on the plant. When those caterpillars eat the plant, they ingest the Bt and it gives them a big bad tummy ache, and they die. It is so harmless to anything else, that birds can eat them. Use it while they're young. The bigger ones slow down their eating when they are getting ready to pupate, and it doesn't affect them.

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

How about a neem treatment?

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

yes, neem will kill them too.

Peoria, IL

You could just wipe them off with a paper towel or knock 'em with a hose.

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

Thanks. Hose is out for me, as I water my plants with a can.

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