I have planted outdoors a night blooming jasmine (cestrum nocturnum), and I have been battling a pest that quickly eats away new growth and leaves. The first time it happened, the plant was almost literally stripped in a matter of days while we were on vacation. Since then I have sprayed the plant with the highly toxic chemical Orthene in order to keep the pest in control.

Does anyone know what this pest could be and if there is another less toxic control I can use?

Thanks for your help.

If it's the same thing that was eating mine...it's some species of caterpillar. I control it with Sevin Dust. Dust the plants at the first sign of nibbling. I don't know about the toxicity of it-but it does the trick.