Vegetable crops attacked include basil, cabbage, celery, Chinese pea, corn, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, mint, parsley, peas, potato, spinach, sweet potato, and tomato. Ornamental crops attacked are chrysanthemum, orchid, ti and tropical foliages such as Aglaonema, Diffenbachia, Ficus and Syngonium. The green garden looper has a widespread distribution throughout Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, South Europe and the Pacific. This pest was first found in Hawaii on Oahu in 1877, and is now present on all islands. The caterpillar is the damaging stage of this pest.
Young larvae consume only one side of the leaf, leaving a window-like appearance.
As the young larvae develop, they chew holes through the leaf. Caterpillars are also reported to feed on flowers and fruits. In Hawaii the life cycle lasts between 33-35 days. Continuous and overlapping generations occur throughout the year. The surface of the eggs is patterned with ridges, similar to that of thimbles, arranged in regular rows.