Larvae of the arctiid moth, Pareuchaetes insulata, from Florida fed on the leaves of Chromolaena odorata, a serious composite, alien weed in Natal, South Africa. In starvation test trials using 48 plant species, P. insulata completed its development on C. odorata and Ageratum houstonianum. Subsequent attempts to culture P. insulata on these two plants was only successful on C. odorata. The biology of P. insulata is similar to that of two other well studied Pareuchaetes species namely P. pseudoinsulata and P. aurata aurata. Repeated defoliation of C. odorata by P. insulata could contribute to its control as has been found with P. pseudoinsulata in Guam. Pareuchaetes insulata has been approved for release as a biological control agent of C. odorata in South Africa.