Appearance
The species differs from ''Theretra lycetus'' in being greyish brown without pink suffusion and the two dorsal lines on the abdomen are silvery white. There are also oblique stripes on forewing and the sides of abdomen is ochreous, not golden. Hindwing with the submarginal band ochreous and narrow.Larva is pale purplish brown. There is a yellow subdorsal line and white spots with a pale lateral line below them on the thoracic somites. Black-ringed ocelli can be seen on 4th to 10th somites, where the first two centered with blue, and posterior with purple. In the early instars, posterior ocelli are centered with crimson color with dorsal bands of yellow specks. The species is found in open lowland habitats. As the caterpillar crawls, it sweeps the tail-like horn, which is black and tipped in white, in an arc forwards and back.
Naming
*''Theretra oldenlandiae oldenlandiae'' , eastern Russia and northern Japan)⤷ ''Theretra oldenlandiae lewini''
⤷ ''Theretra oldenlandiae samoana'' Gehlen, 1941
Distribution
Is found in India, Sri Lanka, China, Borneo, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.Cultural
They are often considered a pest on both busy lizzie and fuchsias . Caterpillars of this species have also been seen feeding on arum lily , Argentine trumpet vine , climbing guinea flower , billy goat plum , godetia , star cluster , Australian native violet and slender grape . The larvae are black with yellow dots, they have a small spine on their tails and use it as a mimicked head. Before pupating the caterpillar will reach a length of about 70 mm.The adult is brown with light brown stripes down the thorax. The stripes are mimicked on the inner margin of the forewing.
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