Author Topic: Florida Macadamia with spotted oleander caterpillar moth?  (Read 1262 times)

MarkoS

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Florida Macadamia with spotted oleander caterpillar moth?
« on: April 29, 2016, 08:44:45 PM »
Just getting my sprinklers running again so I'm hoping for a fruit-full year.  My macadamia trees are starting to flower for the first time ever, so I'm watching them closely.  This evening I spotted 3 spotted oleander caterpillar moths climbing all over the flowers.  I could not tell if they were actually feeding on the pollen. 

From what I could find, the spotted oleander caterpillar moth (Empyreuma pugione) mostly likes oleander trees.  They are actually from the Caribbean and have only been in Florida since the 1970's.   They're about an inch long and look more like a wasp.  They're black with little white spots and orange wings.  I find no references with Macadamia trees. (Linked below)

Any one else have experience with them on macadamia trees?  It's a tall tree so I'm not too nervous about much damage especially as most of what I read folks aren't concerned with the oleander trees.  From what I found only bees, wasps, and beetles are listed as pollinators.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/spotted_oleander_caterpillar.htm

bsbullie

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Re: Florida Macadamia with spotted oleander caterpillar moth?
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2016, 07:03:49 AM »
My macadamia is done flowering except for a rogue single flower here and there.   Min  basically flowered a month plus ago.  Fruit/developing nuts are already eraser head size.  I have seen the spotted oleander moth flying around it but to be honest, I see that moth flying around quite often and not focused on any one plant.  I have only seen one cluster of the caterpillars,  and i did not pay attention to see if it was the spotted or regular oleander caterpillar, and it was on my jackfruit tree.
- Rob