Rearing moths and butterflies

8 years ago

Hello fellow nature lovers. We have been trying to make our gardens and yard in general more Lepidoptera friendly over the last few years and we raise several species of moths and butterflies. In addition to some butterflies and sphingids we almost always have eggs, caterpillars or cocoons of various silk moths like Polyphemus Moths, Luna Moths, Cecropia Moths, Regal Moths, Imperial Moths and others. My boys love it-- we are at about 15 local species raised started either by finding on foodplant, nectaring, or light trapped then bred, and want to attract and try more. Especially hoping to try some sphinx species that we haven't raised yet. Are there other rearers out there, casual or serious or just want to try, who we can help with some species and who can help us with others? Would like to find sphinx species to rear the rest of this season and next spring. Abbott's Sphinx, Nessus Sphinx, Pandorus Sphinx, any of the hummingbird/clearwings and some others would be great. What species do you find regularly in your garden?

Comments (4)

KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
8 years ago
Besides tobacco hornworms, you need USDA permits to ship across state lines. Even then, you are not allowed to release whatever you imported. Takes the joy out of raising those Leps.

I got to raise Pandorus sphinx for the first time ever this year. Gorgeous cats.

I'm currently raising my 2nd ever batch of waved and 1st ever batch of blinded. Caught both moms at gas station lights. I have no idea how to sex them so I put them in bags and hoped. Got lucky.

I was surprised how much color variation the waved sphinxes have since books don't show it. These are ones I was raising earlier this year.
kcmatt
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Neat animals those pandorus. We have an ongoing line of E. achemon, can't get pandorus to pair so our pandorus lines never last.

We have a line of P. excaecata, haven't done C. undulosa though we get them to light traps occasionally.

Still joy in raising them, if you get pairings, native born animals can be released. Insects can be shipped if for feeders (e.g., reptile food). Many moths only live a week could easily be used at that point to feed animals. We raise salamanders, lizards and snakes.

Anyone else out there raising other sphingids or find them and would like help to do it?
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KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
8 years ago
I just put two and three together. I know who you are now. You sell a lot of Leps.
kcmatt
Original Author
8 years ago
Yes, my boys and I raise and trade and sell some ova and cocoons, though we raise and release exponentially more. Would like to find people who are finding some of the species we don't get the opportunity to see often even though they are native here.