Chromolaena-odorata
Guides
Pareuchaetes
Pareuchaetes is a genus of arctiine tussock moths in the family Erebidae, erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1866. The genus contains six described species distributed from the southern United States to northern Argentina. Several species have been employed as biological control agents against the invasive weed Chromolaena odorata in Africa and Asia, with varying degrees of establishment success. The genus is notable for its specialist association with Chromolaena host plants and its use in classical biological control programs.
Pareuchaetes insulata
yellow-winged pareuchaetes
Pareuchaetes insulata is a moth in the family Erebidae, subfamily Arctiinae, first described by Francis Walker in 1855. Native to the Caribbean and southern United States, it has been introduced to South Africa as a biological control agent for the invasive weed Chromolaena odorata. The species exhibits high host specificity, with larvae feeding primarily on C. odorata. Adult moths have a wingspan of 26–38 mm and are active year-round, peaking from April to November.