On one occasion, 2 caterpillars were found on the leaves of the Syzygium species shown below. As there was no fruit or flower on the plant, I was not able to determine the plant species.

It is not certain whether the caterpillars belong to the moth Carea varipes although it is likely to be a Nolid moth caterpillar (Family Nolidae). The caterpillars were seen in July 2012 at the Mandai area, part of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. The more mature one was found at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in May 2014.

Caterpillars of Carea varipes is known to feed on the leaves of Rose Myrtle (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa). The interest in this moth arises because of its potential role as a biological control agent for Rose Myrtle, which is considered as a serious weed in Florida, USA.

A sighting of the caterpillar in Kerala, India reported that it feed on the leaves of the Java Plum (Syzygium cumini). Both Rose Myrtle and Java Plum belong to the family Myrtaceae. There were also sighting of the caterpillar by others in Singapore but the information on the host plant was not mentioned.

Reference articles:

1. Winotai, A., T. Wright, and J.A. Goolsby. 2005. Herbivores in Thailand on Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Myrtaceae), an invasive weed in Florida. Florida Entomologist 88: 104-105.

2. Australian Biological Control Laboratory 2002 Annual Report. Appendix 3. Page 6.