Diet

• The caterpillars of Gonodonta feed on the leaves of a diverse range of plants, with many documented hosts belonging to the families Annonaceae and Piperaceae.

• Other recorded host families include Lauraceae, Solanaceae, Lamiaceae, Menispermaceae and Hernandiaceae.

• Some species feed preferentially on young foliage, and larvae may occur during periods of new leaf growth.

Habitat

• The caterpillars occur primarily in tropical and subtropical forest habitats where suitable broad-leaved host plants are present.

• They are found in both primary and secondary forest, with some host plants particularly common in regenerating vegetation and forest clearings.

• In the Zihua region, suitable habitat includes tropical dry forest, forest edges, secondary vegetation and areas supporting Annona, Piper, Nectandra and related host plants.

Description

• The caterpillars are generally elongated and relatively smooth-bodied compared with many hairy moth larvae.

• They can be highly variable in colour among species, with patterns that may include green, brown, yellow, cream or dark markings.

• Many species have contrasting longitudinal or transverse lines and small raised structures on the body.

• Mature larvae can reach approximately 30–45 mm in length in some species.

• The larvae typically rest along the undersides of leaves, where their variable colouring can provide camouflage among the foliage.