Hawk moths

[em.8267]

Hello! I’m new here on chameleon forums, I am also new to raising moths. Currently I have 5 horn worm pupa, and I just dug up my most recent horn worm after 10 days in the dirt and it appears to be deformed?

I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on some good ways to keep them thriving till the emerge and if this pupa will have any chance at survial. Below is what the pupa looks like. It moves around and is very active, so it’s not dead

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome. All I can really say is not to give up on a crysalis. I had a few that were well over at least 6+ months old, but still had some movement, however slight it was. Eventually they emerged (and surprised the out of me). I’ve had silkworms that failed to form a cocoon, but still lived and emerged as moths.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

As said above do not give up on the crysalis.

Chameleons relish making a meal out of moths and especially making a meal out of jumbo Hawk Moths. Otherwise I would just raise them to add to a captive insect colony. Hawk Moths and Mantis are great!!!

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[em.8267]

Hi and welcome. All I can really say is not to give up on a crysalis. I had a few that were well over at least 6+ months old, but still had some movement, however slight it was. Eventually they emerged (and surprised the out of me). I’ve had silkworms that failed to form a cocoon, but still lived and emerged as moths.

Alright, thank you for the advice

 

[MzLaurie]

Hello. Well the season for hawk moths is June to October. As long as they are alive they have a chance to hatch but not in winter. Don’t worry many of them make it till spring and hatch early. As long as a male and female hatch, you can get eggs. This past season was my best season yet. My big fat boy is a testimony to that. So I have a smaller cage set up just for them. I have a large dead plant in a pot in the center of the cage. If they bury themselves don’t dig them up. Around April I start spraying the plant with water as rain can trigger the hatching of the moth. Also climbing up thru the dirt on roots can help their wings. Once I have one live one in the cage, I fill the cage with different flowers so they have something to eat and mist the flowers so they have something to drink. Here’s a pic from last season.

 

[em.8267]

This is super helpful thank you . I knew they tend to hatch around spring, but my friend gave me some that were too big for her bearded dragon so I took them and decided to see if I could make them moths. I do have them on like a heating pad for plant germination that’ll help keep humidity for them