I’ve not had good luck rearing sphinx moths even though I keep trying (and they are some of my favorites, both larvae and adults). Marcie has a friend Ian, who rears a lot of them and he told both of us how to do it. Well, his way, although very successful, was too complicated for me so I modified it.
The pupae do not like to dry out so I put them in slightly damp long fibered sphagnum and put the jar in my heated-to-above-freezing garage with the other insect rearing jars. All jars came indoors April 3, 2010. (it should have been earlier but…) Within 9 days 5 had emerged which is much better than in the past.
Egg collected May 4, 2010 on Virginia Creeper
Egg on May 10, 2010. Larval head is visible as are the mandibles.
Egg shell, May 10, 2010
First instar, May 16, 2010
June 1, 2010
A pupa, with bits of milled peat attached
One of the adults, April 12, 2011
Spent pupal cases
MJ Hatfield
Winneshiek County, Iowa
