Tersa Sphinx Moth Caterpillars

11 years ago

I found three tersa sphinx moth cats a ?few weeks ago - they were small and all green. I brought them in to raise myself, and the other day when I was getting more food for them, I found another one, very tiny and green. These three all turned brown - in the past, some would remain green in the late instars. Tersa sphinx moths are the only lep I can think of off the top of my head that prefer to lay their eggs on a non-native plant, pentas. Pentas are in the same family of plants as buttonweed, their natural host, but if I have pentas, they'll ignore any buttonweed I leave in the garden.

These cats get very big considering that the moths aren't really very big -

I expect them to overwinter, would be very surprised if they emerge this year.

Sherry

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Mary Leek

11 years ago

Super photo, Sherry. Very unusual coloring. Do you think it's because of the time of year? I've only seen the green ones and would have thought something was wrong with them had I come across one of this color. I think I might have had one this year but even though I tried, I could never spot whatever it was that was eating the Pentas.

Mary

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Comments (10)

MissSherry
Original Author
11 years ago
Mary, my tersas have always been mostly brown, regardless of the time of year, but I usually get a green one here and there. Not this year, unless the little bitty green one stays green. Brown is one of the normal colors of tersa cats - I didn't realize there were places where they were only green. I can only guess why mine are typically brown.

Sherry
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vickibline
11 years ago
I collected two very large Sphinx cats yesterday on my Pentas. I placed them in an aquarium with organic soil and lots of penta leaves. Wondering how long before they go to next stage and how I should care fo them.

vicki
MissSherry
Original Author
11 years ago
I don't know how long it takes, because I just put mine in a terrarium under wadded up paper towels, then put this terrarium in my dark guest room and covered it with towels to keep it dark. I forgot about them, and when I remembered to check on them, they had made their pupae. I'll be putting them outside in the big cage with the other pupae, chrysalides and cocoons. They're interesting looking, because they partially retain some of the spots that were on the caterpillars.

I probably should mention that I knew they were ready to pupate, because, in addition to being big, they purged, not as much as swallowtails do, but definitely purged.

Sherry
vickibline
11 years ago
We'll eventually I found a total of 6 cats. Sadly three have died because they were filled with the braconid wasp eggs and the larva emerged.
siam_cannas
11 years ago
nice pic, Miss Sherry, whatever happened to this forum? its so dead here now? where'd Larry Gene go? sighs..
MissSherry
Original Author
11 years ago
'Wish we had more activity, Siam, but at this time of year when the butterflies are on the wane, I doubt we'll be getting any new posters. Maybe next spring!

In the mean time, you can always post your pictures, having butterflies year round. :)

Sherry
bethpierce77
10 years ago
bethpierce77
10 years ago
Hey, miss sherry! It's Beth in Columbia. What is this? I found it on my pentas.
MissSherry
Original Author
10 years ago
That's the green form of a tersa sphinx moth caterpillar, Beth - congratulations! When it quits eating and does its light purge (bowel emptying) put it under some clean leaves or wadded up paper towels in a container in a dark place. It'll go under the leaves and make its pupa, then emerge next spring. I'm keeping mine outside on the porch in the big cage with other chrysalides, cocoons and pupae, so it'll likely emerge at the right time in the spring.

Sherry