In captivity, the moth will not do anything except defecate and on occasion flap around. Covering the enclosure to prevent the moth from seeing lights will reduce its struggles, as will keeping it in a cool place. Many sphinx moths sip nectar at flowers, often at dusk. Adult moths are not capable of chewing or swallowing, so they do not "eat".

Thank you both! I am finding that Miss Luna Moth likes to stay well hydrated. She starts to droop if her soil is even a little dry. So she likes to be watered every other day. I think it's because Hallson is North of me and the Ozarks get a lot hotter. But she is adjusting well. She is in the spot with the most shade and least direct sunlight (just early morning when it is still relatively cool). I just make sure she gets her water when she wants it. El Nino will be going on the display when it's done. He won't be staying on the patio. He could tolerate it plus he will be too big soon enough. Someone made the comment to me today that he's a 4th of July hosta... He's in a red pot and he's blue and white! ;-) As of right now, the only ones that will be staying on the patio once the display is built are Blue Mouse Ears (obviously); PUD; Fire Island; Fortunei Hyacinthina, Fire and Ice and the little Wide Brim. I still hope to get at least Irish Luck before the summer is over- from Hallson. Next year, the only ones on the patio will be BME, PUD, Fire and Ice, and possibly Wide Brim which will lead to room for more "patio babies". The neighbor said he was going to do the big part of the "hosta stage" first, which will go where Wheee, Minuteman, Mama Mia and Midwest Magic currently are... Then he will do the smaller part which will be on the side that the Fire and Ice, Fortunei Hyacinthina, Fire Island and PUD are and just on the other side of the patio.

You are confused for some reason, are confusing the issue. Clearly, the OP had identified the Tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. Do you not believe that someone new to the gardenweb or new to gardening can utilize the internet in a useful manner? I know...it seems to be rare, but I am proud of David. Sphingidae is a large family of moths. They are ALL correctly called Sphinx moths. Our OP plucked the caterpillars from his tomato plants and went to work finding a proper ID. The caterpillars of most (not all) Sphinx moths are hornworms and as a family, can be found on many kinds of plants. They tend to be host specific. Now, Kimmsr.....there are hornworms that feed on Solanaceous plants. I have never seen Tobacco hornworm on anything but a tomato or datura or pepper. I have also never seen nor heard of nor read of any other kind of hornworm (Sphingidae) on those plants. I hope that you have a better understanding, now. It can be confusing, for sure. But understanding the host /pest relationship with this particular moth family is extremely important. One can pretty much ID a hornworn if the host plant is identified....no picture of the caterpillar required. In this instance, we had an OP who was one step ahead of the usual 'newbie '. David used the internet. All he wanted to know is if he planted some tobacco plants would the Manduca sexta lay eggs on those and stay away from his tomatoes.

The eggs look like tiny, round pearls and are found on the upper and lower surface of the leaves. The adults deposit them one at a time, never in clusters. They are very small....like the head of a pin. The baby caterpillar hatches from those eggs, which should tell you how long they have been feeding on your tomatoes to get that large. It pays to be observant. My advice to you is to Google Tobacco Hornworm Eggs. You'll find many educational links with lots and lots of pictures. Knowledge is power.