www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Last Thursday, my brother (who works nights) found a Poplar Hawk Moth in the busy car park. He moved it several times into the bushes but it kept flying back to the tarmac. He put it in a box to take home and release. However, after letting it go he found two eggs in the box. On Sunday he went away on holiday and left me in charge of the eggs, assuring me if they hatched, that they would eat Willow. This morning one hatched, and it isn't eating the willow. What can I feed It? I know that the simple answer is Poplar, but I haven't got any, and don't know where to get some. Will it eat any of the following, Bramble, Plum, Sloe, or any wild garden plant?
Any help would be much appreciated as I don't want this tiny creature to die.
Thank you
Denise

Gosh Denise, that is a tough one. Poplar is not at all plentiful here either. Sadly i doubt if there is a substitute.
PS. Wiki says it will eat willow.

Maybe try these

Host plants:

It feeds mainly on poplar and aspen but sometimes on willow, alder, apple, birch, elm, oak and ash. The food plant often depends on location (Pittaway, 1993).

Panic over. I picked some really small fresh growth from my willow tree and it's munching well now.
Thanks for the help.

Denise

i'm glad your new arrival is eating well. have you thought of a name yet ?



C

Not very original, but "Spike".

Denise

Here is foodplants they can eat: Aspen, Poplar, sallows and willow also apple, elm, ash, birch and oak are used. Nice species to see. I have only ever seen it once before. Remembered it by how they rest with wings looking funny shape.

Spike is still feeding well on "fresh daily" Willow.
Here he is at 5 days old. Denise

Spike at 16 days old. He has trebled in size now. Denise

Spike is one kick-ass larva !!

You should see Spike now
He/she is about three inches long and very fat, eating 8/9 large leaves per day.
Not long now until it starts to pupate. I will try and get a photo before this happens, but Spike can't half move when the lid comes off the tub!

Denise

Edit:- Spike today, 25 days old.

Drum roll.......

Yesterday Spike was still eating, but restless. This morning I got up and found him between the layers of the kitchen roll that I keep in his tub. I did the usual routine, clean box, fresh food and kitchen roll but he was just wandering so I half filled his new deeper tub with compost and put a small amount of food in (just in case I'd got it wrong) and put him in and, da dahhh

he immediately buried himself!

Well, I suppose that's it for a while. I did it!!
In three weeks time I will dig him up and put him in the fridge until spring.

Denise

Well done Denise. Will you still call it 'Spike' after it's reborn?

It depends if it's a girl or a boy. Whatever, I will be releasing it back to the wild.

Denise

It depends if it's a girl or a boy.

We'll all be stood around the bed, wringing our hands on the day.

I will probably know before then.
Evidently, you can tell by looking at the pupa. I'll keep you informed.

Denise

Thats good its got to pupation, big cat ain't it? I have always liked hawk moth cats for their size and looks, also some "feel" different than alot of other caterpillars I think.

Hi Dave,

Yes he was a BIG dude. He ended up about the size of my index finger, biggest cat that i've ever seen.
It was a wicked experience, and one that I wouldn't mind doing again
I can't wait to dig him up, (just to check on him) and put him in the fridge for the winter.

Denise

I once bred Death's Head Hawk Moths with my uncle, many years ago and those cats were roughly the size of his thumb. And seeing as he was a builder he had hands like a pound of sausages...

Cheers

Lee

I dug him up this morning, and yes, I have a pupa. One very happy Denise.