The Coconut black headed caterpillar (Opisina arenosella), is a species of moth found in throughout East Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, as well as Indonesia.

The species exists on coconut palms through its life stages from larval to moth, and utilizes the tree fronds as a main source of nutrition.

[2] The female moth lays eggs in small groups on the underside of coconut leaflets near to feeding larvae.

It has been known to be predated upon by birds, ants, spiders, mites, true bugs of the families Anthocoridae and Reduviidae, and Carabidae beetles.

[4] This organism in its larval form is widely affected by a nuclear polyhedrosis virus in the wild and by a number of different pathogens in laboratory settings.

[4] The resulting reduction in the plant's yield from the damage has required a great need to develop effective control methods during periods of outbreak in order to maintain the worldwide demand for coconut product, as well as the economies of countries with affected crops.

T. embryophagum, Trichogramma, Goniozus nephantidis and Bracon brevicornis are all known parasitoids of the species, and work by parasitizing the larvae at various instars.

[9] G. nephantidis and B. brevicornis both parasitoid wasps, parasitize third to seventh instar larvae, leading to the eventual shrivelling and death of the organism.

[9] Pheromones can act as a means of monitoring and controlling an insect population, while being non-toxic to animals and plants, yet specific to the target pest.

[7] Four different sex hormones have been identified and isolated from the female moth O. arenosella, and could potentially be useful in mass trappings, or mating disruption.