Sapindus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) species including Endoclita malabaricus.
Unrelated plants in the genus Sapindus produce highly toxic saponins and share the common name soapberry with the edible Canada Buffaloberry.
Sapindus |
Possible foodplants seem to include most core eudicots, as the larvae have been recorded from across that clade: Known foodplants are Sea Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus), Lonomea (Sapindus oahuensis), Saman (Albizia saman) and coffeetrees (Coffea); the last two are not native to the Pacific region, testifying to the species' adaptability.