During the larval stage, Cape lappets feed on a wide variety of African plants and can often be found aggregating in gardens.

The caterpillars are brightly coloured and conspicuously hairy, while the bulky adult moths are mostly brown and much less striking in appearance.

For E. capensis at least, aggregating behaviour appears to be of no benefit to the caterpillars in terms of either water or energy conservation, according to a 2013 study.

[1][3] The larvae feed on Acacia cyclops, A. mearnsii, A. saligna, A. karroo, Bauhinia, Celtis africana, Chrysanthemoides monilifera, C. incana, Cupressus macrocarpa, Combretum molle, Eucalyptus macarthurii, E. paniculata, Euclea racemosa, Mangifera indica, Pinus patula, P. radiata, P. elliottii, P. montezumae, Populus, Prunus armeniaca, P. persica, Rhus lancea, Searsia lucida, Rhus crenata, Schinus molle, S. terebinthifolius, Rosa banksiae and Taxodium distichum.

The specific epithet he chose, capensis, presumably refers to the moth's distribution in the Western Cape of South Africa.