# Raising Eyed Hawk-moths - Smerinthus ocellatas from eggs...



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

Found one of these beasts in a mates kitchen laying eggs. She gave it to me along with a load of little green eggs. Its still laying in its tub at mine. I read the caterpillars will eat apple tree leaves and so I hope to raise them on this but first I need to know how the eggs should be incubated?

So, any moth fans out there who can help? ANY advice appreciated?


----------



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

Bump...


----------



## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Try asking Mooks on BN he knows a lot about moths. He's on here as well but I dodn't know if his user is the same.
My moon moths are just hatching but I got them as larvae so I don't know anything about eggs. Better find out I think:whistling2:, at a guess I would say lightly spray them and leave them too it but as siad I don't really know.
The larvae will probably stay put with their food and will be OK in a tub but the adults will need a net cage to hatch and lay eggs.
Good luck


----------



## The_Real_Moreliaman (Jan 24, 2009)

LOL....you dont need to incubate them m8....If she's been mated they should hatch out in a few days....keep them in a small clear plastic container (small pin sized air holes in it) when they hatch you can let them crawl on a leaf or use a small artists paint brush to move them to a larger tub with tissue paper in the bottom (i use the clear cadburys tubs) DONT put/leave foodplant in with the eggs !....When they hatch they will be light green with a pink horn...on the 2nd instar they start to get their stripes..... they will feed on a range of trees....apple, sallow, willow, popular....stick to one foodplant (some lepidoptra dont like changing unless its straight after an instar change) & dont keep any food in standing water as this can cause problems with some species...get it fresh when needed..... dont keep too many in a tub either & youll have to reduce the numbers in a tub as they grow larger (if theres too many they end up biting eachother & disease can set in) clean them out every few days.
When they are full grown they will change colour (by that i mean the colours fade out slightly) and they stop feeding and wander around the tub......now get a nice deep tub and fill it 3/4 full of potting soil (make sure its an additive free type) the soil needs to be about 6" deep, you can also top load it with dead leaves, moss & strips of bark etc, leave them for a week or 2 before you dig them out to make sure the pupa has hardened fully......depending on how long this summer lasts (if you can call it that!..lol) you might get a 2nd generation out of them...if not you can over winter the pupae in a shed or unheated garage, just keep an eye on them to make sure they dont dry out.
PM me if ive missed anything or if you need any more help m8.


----------



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

Great thanks for the replies guys! I will PM no doubt as I go along... I just hope they hatch! I had never seen a moth this big before, very impressive! 

Will the female die once shes laid then?


----------



## The_Real_Moreliaman (Jan 24, 2009)

well they dont live much longer after laying...the adults dont feed so once all the energy has been used up thats it.....id let her lay the eggs you think you can cope with and then release her (she can lay quite a few but it also depends on her size) Its not the biggest hawk we have here......privet hawks are the largest native one...then theres the few large migrants that fly over like convolvulus hawks & deads head hawks.


----------



## eco_tonto (Aug 1, 2008)

If you wanna have a read up on hawk moths Cass i can email you over my disso! The whole thing was on sphigide (hawk moths!) :lol2:


----------



## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Ohhh so glad someone who knows has answered you. I think she will die. Mine will only last about 10 days tops (males) and the females die soon after laying.


----------



## eco_tonto (Aug 1, 2008)

I caught a deaths head in my robinsons trap a couple of years ago, now that is a big moth! And they can squeak!!! :gasp:


----------



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

The_Real_Moreliaman said:


> well they dont live much longer after laying...the adults dont feed so once all the energy has been used up thats it.....id let her lay the eggs you think you can cope with and then release her (she can lay quite a few but it also depends on her size) Its not the biggest hawk we have here......privet hawks are the largest native one...then theres the few large migrants that fly over like convolvulus hawks & deads head hawks.


Sounds like a good idea! Hadnt known of them at all before yesterday to be honest. Are they rare? 



eco_tonto said:


> If you wanna have a read up on hawk moths Cass i can email you over my disso! The whole thing was on sphigide (hawk moths!) :lol2:


Cheers Dave! I'll have a read, PM on its way...


----------



## eco_tonto (Aug 1, 2008)

Some are rarer than others, down my way we get alot of elephants, poplar and lime hawk, i do catch a few few others tho. Got 2 elephants night before last as it so happens. It largely depends on what plants you have locally really.


----------



## The_Real_Moreliaman (Jan 24, 2009)

eco_tonto said:


> I caught a deaths head in my robinsons trap a couple of years ago, now that is a big moth! And they can squeak!!! :gasp:


Thats a rare catch over here m8, Ive been UV lighting since the early 80's and ive never had one in my traps..... id feel quite honoured if i were you...was it a female ? Do you live near the south coast ? thats where most of them are caught....any higher up north & its usually a release.


(lol....DUH....just noticed you live in southampton!)


----------



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

eco_tonto said:


> Some are rarer than others, down my way we get alot of elephants, poplar and lime hawk, i do catch a few few others tho. Got 2 elephants night before last as it so happens. It largely depends on what plants you have locally really.


Makes sense. I thought it was an exotic species when I first saw her :lol2:. 
PM with email sent.


----------



## The_Real_Moreliaman (Jan 24, 2009)

They are a real pretty moth gaboon.......you can cross breed them with popular hawks too! (although they dont look as nice....well i dont think so)


----------



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

The_Real_Moreliaman said:


> They are a real pretty moth gaboon.......you can cross breed them with popular hawks too! (although they dont look as nice....well i dont think so)


Cool thanks for your help! if goes well I would love to get some atlas moths in the future :2thumb:.


----------



## The_Real_Moreliaman (Jan 24, 2009)

Get yourself an old fishtank or good sized plastic container then..........they like warmth & humidity.


----------



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

The_Real_Moreliaman said:


> Get yourself an old fishtank or good sized plastic container then..........they like warmth & humidity.


Cool, I may do. Fingers crossed these eggs hatch .

Thanks for your help.


----------



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

*Update...*

These have almost all hatched and now have some willow leaves to chow down on :2thumb:. Will get some pics up when they are bigger...

Cheers for the help .


----------



## The_Real_Moreliaman (Jan 24, 2009)

Thats good news mate.....hope you didnt keep too many or youll be going out everyday to get fresh food !!! lol 

And talking of willow....I found these two mating on the willow tree outside my house last night.....thought id take a pic for yer.

Popular Hawks:


----------



## Gaboon (Jun 20, 2005)

Great find! I have kept quite a few, they have doubled in size already :2thumb:.


----------



## speri (Sep 10, 2010)

Hi,
Any info on Sphingidae would be much appreciated. I am attempting to breed a few s species this year. My email is - [email protected]
many thanks
Paul


----------

