Coconut caterpillar

Brassolis sophorae · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae

Damages trees, gardens or crops. The larvae feed on many garden and crop plants, causing noticeable damage.

Source: Wikipedia

Coconut caterpillar
Photo: Sidnei Dantas, CC BY-SA

They are native to South America. The caterpillars are pests that eat a wide range of plants, harming gardens and crops.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a pest in the house?

The larvae are pests that can damage stored food and household plants.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

The larvae feed on many different plants and are considered pests.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

It is found in South America.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Coconut caterpillar photo 3
Photo: unknown, CC0
Coconut caterpillar photo 4
Photo: Sidnei Dantas, CC BY-SA

Questions people ask

What plants do coconut caterpillars damage?

The larvae eat a wide range of garden and crop plants, causing leaf loss and reduced yields.

Source: Wikipedia

Are they a problem inside the house?

Yes, the larvae can become household pests, feeding on stored food and indoor plants.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Nymphalidae)

MonarchMonarchDanaus plexippusRed AdmiralRed AdmiralVanessa atalantaPainted LadyPainted LadyVanessa carduiGulf FritillaryGulf FritillaryDione vanillaeSpeckled WoodSpeckled WoodPararge aegeriaEuropean Peacock ButterflyEuropean Peacock ButterflyAglais io

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassolis_sophorae

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

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