bee hawk moth

[thisgal]

I've got some newly hatched bee hawk moth caterpillars and I don't know what to do with them!

First off, I need to know what to feed them. I've done numerous searches, and can't seem to find the exact species I've got here (We live in WV, USA).

The eggs were laid by a female moth my sister found on her front porch. She thought it was dead, so she put it in a container to show me. On the car ride here, the thing started freaking out, laying eggs all over the place. She didn't seem to be able to fly at first, but during one of my removals of the lid to look at it, she seemed to have recovered, so I let her go.

I do fully intend on letting these little guys go, but I don't want to have to sacrifice my neighbours' tomato plants!!! ;P Any advice?

 

[bugmankeith]

Bee hawk moths dont eat tomato plants or tobacco, I'm not sure what they eat, but i'll look up for you. Usually hawkmoths only fly at night or early morning. I had hawkmoths that were 100% healthy, and none would fly during the day, but at night they would fly like fighter jets!

 

[bugmankeith]

If it's a Narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth, it eats these plants:

Scabiosa, Succisa pratensis, Knautia arvensis, Galium verum, Lonicera xylosteum, Symphoricarpos rivularis

 

[thisgal]

That's the species I was thinking, but I can't seem to find any websites that talk about them living in the US...

Also, these moths, at least around here, are diurnal. They don't only come out at night. Everything I've read about them implies so.

I've got potato leaves in there, as well as the leaves of the plants the adults were eating from. Some kind of lemon herb, with purple flowers.

 

[bugmankeith]

If it's Cephonodes kingii (bee hawk moth) then it mainly eats Gardenia, but also eats:
Coast Canthium
Alahe'e
Wild Lemon
Australian Native Gardenia
Scented Gardenia
Butterfly Bush

as well as (but rarely)
Alfalfa
Lemon

more info on both hawkmoth species here:

http://www.usyd.edu.au/macleay/larvae/sphi/kingii.html
http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=6070

 

[thisgal]

Arrrgh, the first link doesn't work, and the second is a site based in the UK...I'm in the US...

 

[kraken]

I have seen them flying here in kentucky,i thought they were a moth,just didnt know. I didnt know what they were called

 

[bugmankeith]

Try the link now...