Recently we acquired a new garden addition that came with an unexpected bonus. We bought a Gardenia; but didn’t notice it had at least one passenger – a moth caterpillar! We found out when we saw the adult visiting our Buddlejas 🙂
Cephanodes spp moths are a group of hawkmoths in which the larvae feed on various members of the Rubiaceae family, including Gardenias. The larvae pupate in the soil – maybe that’s how it snuck through! What a beautiful creature to see in our own back yard 🙂
Plants and Pollinators 