Manduca Sexta eclosed what sugar water to feed?

[Pacific Chameleon]

Hello all!

I have 15 hornworms that have pupated and I had my first moth emerge. Can someone please tell me how to prepare the sugar water for the moths? What mix of sugar to water, and what kind of feeding aparatus to use. Will a hummingbird feeder work? I know they feed from a white flower so should I look for something white?

Thanks for your help.


Jeff

 

[Sporkthedork]

This website:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=57
Suggests 10-20% sugar water. I'm thinking a humming bird feeder should work, but I've never bred hornworms. The website above suggests you just hang a pastic cup with a lid with holes on it.

 

[Pacific Chameleon]

Thank you. I've looked at that before, but couldn't find it when the time came. I have gone from baby hornmworms to moth, now I just need to get back to baby hornworm again to complete the cycle...... I am very excited.

Thanks again

Jeff

 

[Sporkthedork]

Good luck with your hornworm project. Report back on the humming bird feeder, there are a couple of members trying to breed hornworms as well. Let's see who can complete the cycle first. =P

 

[kenya]

I am currently keeping manduca sexta moths also. I feed mine watered down raw agave nectar (you can get it at healthfood stores) I mix it with water at about 1:5 ratio with water being the most. I then put the solution on a shallow plate and tease the moths proboscis down with a toothpick into the solution. My moths will drink until they are done but it may take a few tries before they decide that they want to drink- I do this twice a day for each moth.

I hope that helps!

 

[Dsignrguy]

mine are hatching into moths right now. 3 hatched, 2 cocoons left to go. My chameleon refuses to eat them though . Its the first time i've ever seen him NOT eat something. I think it confuses him and he loses interest.

 

[kenya]

mine are hatching into moths right now. 3 hatched, 2 cocoons left to go. My chameleon refuses to eat them though . Its the first time i've ever seen him NOT eat something. I think it confuses him and he loses interest.

I fed two moths off today and my chams LOVED them. It took them a few tries to get their tongues to stick since the moths are so furry but I have never seen them so focused and keeping so interested in a feeder before. Even wax worms, silkies and horn worms don't get this kind of attention.

 

[Cainschams]

Be careful. Those big moths can put up a very good fight. The legs are pretty powerful and could do some damage if it tries to latch on to an eye while being lapped up.

 

[lanceman]

how long does the moth live anyone know.

 

[Dsignrguy]

well, the last 2 hatched last night, and again, he refused to eat them, but ate a couple of dubia like they were candy. moths are looking pretty much dead at this point.

their wings look all "ratty" and never really unfolded, anyone know why?

 

[Pacific Chameleon]

Did you provide them a stick to climb up on to dry their wings out on? They need a something to climb up on near their cocoon otherwise their wings will do that.

 

[ColorCham427]

Wing Inflation
After eclosion, the moth pumps fluid from the abdomen into the wings to inflate them.

-good site.

 

[Dsignrguy]

Did you provide them a stick to climb up on to dry their wings out on? They need a something to climb up on near their cocoon otherwise their wings will do that.

Nope, I was unaware of that. THANK YOU!!!! I have another batch that should hatch in about a week, I'll make sure to change things a bit.

these didn't live ling, 1-2 days at most....but that's cause I don't know what I'm doing and wasn't really prepared. looks like I'll get another shot in a few days....I'm off to make fake nectar.

 

[Ryan1976]

Dsignrguy.... I have never attempted to raise Hornworms. However, I recently had a Hornworm that was way too large to feed my Female Veiled Cham, so I decided to let it pupate. It just emerged out of it's cocoon today!! I was very shocked because I have never tried this before!! It took 26 days from the day it started it's cocoon until today, when it emerged as a gorgeous Moth!! I absolutely went into a panic when I saw the Moth had emerged. I had already done some research on them, but wasn't sure what to do with the actual Moth. So, I put him in an old bird cage for the meantime and gave him branches to climb on. Pacific Chameleon was absolutely CORRECT!! My Moth headed straight for the branches I provided & he stayed there until his wings dried out & finished "forming".

This has me kind of excited to start breeding my own Hornworms. They are extremely EXPENSIVE to buy, but cheap as hell to raise on your own!! So, I highly suggest you keep breeding them!! If you end up with too many Hornworms than you know what to do with.... SELL THEM!! That's what I plan on doing. You could advertise on Craigslist or somewhere else. That extra money can help you provide for your Chams or other reptiles!!

Good luck with your Hornworm Ventures!! And keep us up-to-date with what happens!!

 

[Ryan1976]

Shit!! Sorry... but for some reason, when I posted that response yesterday, I didn't realize it was almost 5 YEARS OLD!! EMBARRASSING!! = (