What is a common herbivore pest affecting ornamental plants?

Caterpillars are a well-known herbivore pest that significantly affects ornamental plants. These larvae of butterflies and moths can cause substantial damage by feeding on the foliage, stems, and in some cases, flowers of plants. They can consume large areas of leaves, leading to aesthetic damage and in severe cases, compromising plant health and growth. The physical presence of caterpillars can also lead to secondary issues, such as attracting ants or encouraging fungal infections due to the damage they cause.

Unlike caterpillars, slugs primarily feed at night and can be troublesome but do not have the same level of widespread impact on as many ornamental plants. Spider mites and thrips, although they can damage plants, are classified as sap-sucking pests rather than herbivores. Their feeding habits involve piercing plant cells and sucking out cell contents, leading to different types of damage compared to chewing pests like caterpillars.