Hyblaea puera, the teak defoliator, is a moth and cryptic species complex native to South Asia and South-east Asia. It was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1777. The species has also been recently reported to be present in Central America and Africa. The caterpillar feeds on teak and other trees. It is considered to be one of the major teak pests around the world. Distribution and habitat Hyblaea puera occurs in forests across southern Asia from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, through Thailand and the rest of south-east Asia to New Guinea, and north Queensland in Australia. Recent reports place it in Guadeloupe, and Suriname. Life cycle The adult moths are comparatively small, with a wingspan of 3–4 cm, and have a characteristic resting posture that conceals the black and orange-yellow hindwings under the greyish-brown forewings. Males and females emerge more or less simultaneously and mating takes place within a couple of days. Eggs are laid on tender new leaves, placed singly near the veins, and usually on the undersurface. They are oval, flat, and white and measure about 1 mm in length. About 500 eggs are laid per female with a recorded maximum of 1000. Larvae hatch in about two days. There are five larval instars. The first and second instars mainly feed on the leaf surface. Starting with the third instar, the larva cuts out a leaf flap, usually at the edge of the leaf, folds it over, fastens it with silk, and feeds from within. The entire leaf, excluding the major veins of tender leaves, is eaten, but more veins are left in older leaves. Under the optimal conditions, the larval period lasts 10 to 12 days. The full-grown larva measures about 3.5–4.5 cm, and there is considerable colour variation in the fourth and fifth instars; the body may be either wholly black or dark greyish to black, with longitudinal coloured bands which may include a dorsal orange or ocherous band and lateral white lines. A recent study revealed the existence of density-dependent colour polyphenism and resistance build-up against invading baculovirus by H. puera larvae. The mature larvae descend to the ground on silken threads and pupate under a thin layer of leaf litter or soil, within loosely built cocoons made of dry or decayed leaves, or soil particles held together with silk. Pupation may some times occur within green leaves of other plants in the