Transverse Moth

Checking the Rosella  this afternoon we noticed that the three in the vegetable garden that have yet to flower -  they were purchased from Bunnings - are being decimated by caterpillars.

The caterpillars are quite striking as indeed is the adult moth :

                                      Transverse moth or Xanthodes transversa

A picture of the moth is on the usual reference site :

http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_noctuidae/TransverseMoths.htm

Other Malvaceae are also the host plant for this moth and awhile ago a native hibiscus elsewhere in the yard was decimated, but the culprits were not found at the scene. So maybe this species of moth was the guilty party.

I'm going to leave them be -  the Rosella is obviously not thriving and I doubt we will get any fruit from them at this late stage of the season.  I also think there is another type of caterpillar on these plants - this will be obvious in a day or so when they are a bit larger.

The one plant I had elsewhere in the garden has provided us with a good supply of fruit-  this was grown from seed kept from last year.   I have left fruit on it to collect fresh seed for next season.