Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The catepillar I had found and saved in a jar made a nest of the leftover leaves and a small pit under them in the soil. That was 3 weeks ago or so? Last night when checking on the pupae I noticed it had turned really dark and was still very much alive (tapping the jar made it wiggle side to side)

I was pleased to find that sometime early early in the morning the pupae had hatched! and there was a beautiful Tersa sphynx sitting in the jar!!

I quickly snapped a really bad shot of it in the jar before releasing it. I was hoping to get it to crawl out and sit for a bit so I could take really nice shots of it... but it wasn't to be

As soon as I started to pull the twigs it was sitting on out... it started to flutter its wings about, right out the jar and off it shot into the sky! It flew really fast and is probably miles away now lol. So no nice professional shots of this beautiful moth

But I'm glad I got to raise it to adulthood! Especially since non of its other eggmatesI left on the host plant made it to the pupae stage. It was a neat experience! I wish it a happy and full life of collecting nectar

I am so glad it worked out for you! They are strong flyers and when they are ready to go there is no messin' around! LOL!

I couldn't tell from the pic if you had something for it to climb up on to spread its wings? Obviously it was successful doing so, but if you didn't just be sure with any future rearings they have a prop. My very first experience with rearing was a sphinx and its climbibg stick had gotten dislodged. i found it on its back with crumpled, crippled wings. I fed him - by hand - for several days (quite a feat since their "tongue" is 2 1/2 times the body length!).

Where do you live? I would have to have waited 9 or 10 months for emergence(!) - tho' we don't have that particular species up here.

Again - good work!

lele

Yes I had some larger dried twigs sticking up from its 'nest' so it could climb up and dry its wings.

Thats very sad about the crippled sphynx

I live in south central Oklahoma.. and I was beginning to think it might over-winter since its been somewhat cool here lately in the 50s and 60s.. but today is a bit warmer (low to mid 70s).

Thanks again!

I probably couldn't have done it without your help in my previous post when I first found the catepillar

you are welcome. I am working on some articles - and hopefully a book - on this subject and my "audience" are folks just like you. Just hope I can get it published

My crippled sphinx, Toby (named for tobacco hornworm ), resides on a bed of dried lavender flowers on a shelf in my living room. I bring him when I do presentations on the wild silk moths and use his story to impress upon the kids (and parents(!) the importance of having a place to climb and spread. So he has a very important purpose. As you can imagine, it does make an impact. I have a few pix (not digi) of him actually feeding. I will scan them in and post

lele

Hey, let me know if you can find any more tersa larvae. I'm glad you released the moth. A lot of people on a gardening forum have been finding tersas on Pentas. I don't have any Pentas, but now I know what kind of plants to add to my yard next spring.
I do know an alternate food for the tersa is catalpa. It is abundant here around OKC. I live close to OKC and can travel as far as the D/FW Metroplex to pick up a few live specimens, but you had already stated you are still in Okla, somewhere south of the city. I want to add live tersas to my collection for captive-rearing. Thank you.

dancer

I'm in Duncan! not terribly far away... little over an hour maybe?

anyways... We've got 5 or 6 Penta's.. thats what I found them on. I havn't seen anymore but I'll deffinately keep an eye out!

do you have an email I can reach you at or a phone number so I can contact you if I do?

my email is adhaney@sisna.com

Hey, Adhaney, I sent you an e-mail. No reply for 2 days. Have you checked your box?