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Butterfly Garden

Sphinx moth caterpillar on my pentas

16 years ago

I noticed my pentas were being eaten by something very large, as they nearly defoliated one plant today. Well I got to looking and found 2 green sphinx moths, and 2 brown ones. They all had false eye spots on the front, and several large spots on the body. I remember someone telling me about these and pentas, but I can't remember what she said they were. I assume the brown ones are getting ready to pupate? I thought it might be neat to watch them. I'd like to bring them in, but I don't know how to accommodate them. Can anyone give me tips on what they are, and how to raise them? Thanks,

Shari

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Comments (2)

MissSherry
16 years ago
They're tersa sphinx moth cats, Shari, and they burrow into the ground when they're ready to pupate. If you want to finish raising them, give them a few inches of clean, bug free, dry dirt in a container - I usually just stick the water picks with the pentas and the big cats on them directly in the dirt and add more leaves in water picks as needed. When they're ready, they'll go under and emerge a few months? later or next spring.
MissSherry
khakitag
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks. I'll have to look them up and see what they turn into. Everyday it seems I have a pleasant surprise in my garden.
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Wow, very striking! Glad to hear you are having such good luck with these!
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I'm sorry, Khakitag, but it's a goner. It's been parasitized. While it may live to pupate, a moth will not emerge, but rather the parasites that have been consuming it's internal organs. It won't help to remove the cocoons of the parasite because they've already done the damage internally. I know it's sad, huh? If you look for eggs or hatchlings, and want to raise one, you'll have better luck at getting to them before the parasitic wasps do. The sphinx and silk moths are particularly susceptible to parasitization. I have about 20 Tersas I'm raising by hand right now because the predators were eating them. I guess that could be a good thing because I had just tons of eggs, and the Tersa mama is still laying eggs. She must have layed hundreds of them. Was your Tersa cat on hamelia patens (Texas Firebush)? Susan
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Thanks Susan I'm in Milford Pennsylvania in gold key lake estates, basically a forest by 3 lakes and swamps lol I have its container open so it can emerge and adequately spread/dry it's wings in a contained and controlled room. I did the same for my polyphemus moth and it worked out very well and she mated almost immediately after I brought her outside, with gloves, careful not to damage her wings. Also have the option of opening the window screen if it's difficult to catch it etc. Thanks again:)
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Hi, Lisa, and congrats! I've also had Silvery Checkerspots, but I always find mine on Sunflowers. Also had another kind of checkerspot larvae but don't know for sure what they are. The caterpillar is orange with black spines, about the same size as SC's. Could be Gorgone Checkerspots, but I've never seen them, and I know they are not as prolific as the Silvery Checkerspots. Hmmmmm. I have been seeing a few sphinx moths flying at dusk and early morning. My little Nessus has been hanging around, as well as the Snowberry Clearwing - but they fly during daytime hours, nectaring along with the butterflies. I saw one White-lined Sphinx nectaring on a butterfly bush, and others I haven't been close enough to ID yet. The Datura is just starting to bloom, so hopefully I will see more soon. I usually go out around 8:30 p.m. when they begin to rustle around. They are so much fun to watch, aren't they? Susan
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?what to do with this little guy?

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