Yes - some larvae burrow into the soil to pupate

Thank you, nicole.

I’ve just come in from popping it back into it’s hole.

I’m just going to weed around it and let it be.

The size of a cigar! That's some moth.

roxsol , that’s sort of scary & a bit creepy looking. If you have the inclination or time, maybe you could post progress updates? I’m really curious about what will sprout from that….thing. Is it one insect or many? Or, maybe you need to see the new movie coming out this weekend ”How to Train your Dragon”! I am going to see it just because Gerard Butler is in it. 🐉🐲

Are you aware of any large moths in your area? This will be a big one.

patriciae

KW, I looked at it again this morning. No change.

LOL, about the movie. I hope you enjoy it. Thoughts of Mothman and Donny Darko have crossed my mind.

I’ll update (if I’m still here😁) if anything changes.

patricae, yes, I have seen moths as big as my hand over the years. They often sit on screen doors. Through brief research, I think it is a cecropia moth, as the pupa looks like the pictures that I have seen.

Another possibility is polyphemus moth. The pictures don’t look quite right, though.

I hope it's a Hawk Moth. Everything I've read says a few weeks to a year....before we know for sure.

Roxsol, i was curious about the moth pupa too so here is what i found out…

‘Moth pupae found underground are often brown, elongated, and resemble a shiny sliver of wood or a cigar butt. It can be difficult to determine the exact species from the pupa alone. If you are interested in identifying the moth, you can try raising the pupa in a container with moist soil and a porous lid, allowing for good airflow. Place the container out of direct sunlight and wait for the adult moth to emerge. Once the moth has emerged and its wings have dried, you can use identification tools or resources to determine the species.‘

Nicole, I had to look up Hawk Moth, and then I realised they are what I see in my lilac bushes every year. I just went out and took a picture.

I have those all over my yard. I often mistake them for hummingbirds at first.

Outside Playing, I thought about putting it in a jar. I think that I would if I had grandchildren and they could watch with me. My now grown daughter had a little butterfly house that she had a chrysalis in, and I remember how excited she was when the butterfly emerged.

I’m going to leave it where it is, and hopefully I’ll be there when it starts to come out.

If it has a little hook on one end it might be from a Tomato Hornworn, I find those here once in a while when digging in the garden.

Lucky you! I'll bet it's a Hawk Moth! They're just awesome!

I didn't dare suggest a hawk moth. That would be too exciting.

patriciae

Rox- Hawk moths come in a variety of flavors. I believe yours might be the Snowberry Clearwing version.

tj

I saw a hawk moth at my camellia outside a window many years ago & I have not forgotten that event. I couldn’t figure out what it was after I decided it wasn’t a hummingbird. I didn’t know about hawk moths until later & I flashed back to that memory. I wish I had seen another - I never have.

Roxsol, Cecropia or polyphemus don’t bury in the ground like this. Plenty of the big ones, like the Imperial moth do though. So do the tobacco hornworms. We had a cecropia emerge not long ago. put her in a tree, and she attracted a male.

Well, I just found it lying about half a metre from the hole. 😕 A bird maybe ? I brought it into the house and placed it into a Bonne Maman jam jar. I don’t think the jar is big enough so I’ll look for another.

vgkg, there is no hook on the end of it as far as I can see.

tsug, yes, I believe you are correct, a Snowberry Clearwing. I tried to take another photo, but they don’t sit still, do they?

They’re all over my lilac bushes, with the bees, and butterflies.

Anyhow, the pupa is now in a jar.

Thanks to you all. I’ll let you know what develops.

Wow, Iris. That is impressive!

Wonderful photo, Iris!

The Hummingbird Clearwing stoped just long enough for a pic a few years ago.

tj

Roxsol, do you have a stick or something in the jar? It will need something to climb on for the wings to inflate and dry.

I’ve moved it to a bigger jar, and put a stick in with it. Should there be anything else?

The jar is about 14” x 5”.

I see hawk moths every growing season? Most people don't know that tomato hornworms are hawk moth cats. I grow both tomatoes and Ipomoea nil. So they eat the tomatoes, and pollinate the moon vine. I see them every year?! You just need both of them and you'll see them. As long as you don't kill off the tomato hornworms.

The stick may or may not be needed but I would place it so one end touches the bottom.

tj

I did this way way back. I put the jar in a corner China cabinet ina farmhouse I was renting. Iwas washing dishes when from the corner of my eye I detected motion.

Inside the jar was a beautiful swallowtail butteryfly.

Sad, however, kt was very early spring. I was a student, busy and unthinking. I let it go outdoors, but it likely was not going to survive. Nothing in bloom. I stll feel bad about it. Maybe there was something I could have done to keep it alive dor another month?