Yam Hawk Moth

Description:

Sphingidae; Macroglossinae; Theretra nessus (Drury, 1773). 1st photo - newly eclosed moth, climbing out of its cage. 2nd photo - gyrating its wings in preparation for flight. 3rd photo - holding it up outdoors to let it fly free. 4th photo - safe landing on Button Orchid (Dischidia sp.) in front yard. All done before dawn - Hawk Moths are night flyers.

Habitat:

I spotted a Hawk Moth larva on the ground in our back yard and did not know where it came from. It was in danger of being stepped on. So I collected it and dropped it into one of my Hawk Moth Rearing cages. It lived there for a few days side by side with some Pergesa acteus Hawk Moth larvae. I had so many specimens in cages at that time, I forgot to record the progress of this foundling. However, 21 days later, I had a reminder when a beautiful Theretra nessus eclosed from one of the pupae and started climbing out of the cage.

Notes:

The pictures were supposed to give a basic idea of Hawk Moth rearing, but two important steps are missing. Firstly, as mentioned above, I failed to record the late larval stage and pupation and secondly, there is a feature of the release which I deliberately omitted as some sensitive people might not wish to see it. During the "wing gyrations" before their first flight, all Hawk Moths excrete a substantial quantity of liquid, left over in their bodies from the metamorphosis of pupation. This liquid is heavy and has to be excreted to enable flight. It tends to be very messy on the keeper's hands and is not particularly attractive to photograph, but it is an essential part of Hawk Moth life.