please: I need help with a moth larva

[Martha Rosett Lutz]

Hello All!

On 30 May 2002 I was in our front garden and saw a sphinx moth that looked
like a hummingbird (might have been Hemaris, if I ID'd the genus correctly
just from watching it fly around).  It laid an egg on the Hydrangea bush in
our front yard.  I took the egg indoors and it hatched the following
Tuesday.  Unfortunately, I was scheduled to leave town for five days on
Wednesday.

I left the new larva in care of my middle son (age 15) who offered it fresh
food daily, but it died anyway.  He was offering it Hydrangea (from the
same bush where the egg was laid), Prunus serotina, and Wisteria sinensis
(I saw the moth hovering and landing on the Wisteria, and thought it might
have laid an egg there, though I searched the leaves but never found the
egg).

Yesterday I found another egg on the same Hydrangea.  It looks much like
the sphinx egg I found two weeks ago.  Presumably this means it could hatch
in the next few days (between now and Thursday, depending on when it was
laid--I just found it while looking at the bush, but didn't see the moth).

The moth I saw two weeks ago had the characteristic large transparent areas
on its wings typical of the hummingbird moths, and also had an abdomen that
appeared tufted at the apex (at least while in flight).


Does anyone have suggestions for what food to offer the larva if/when it
hatches???  I'd hate to lose another one!  I'd like to rear this through
and find out what it is.  Sorry, I don't have any photos to go with this
vague (dare I say "generic"?) description, but I would greatly appreciate
any assistance or suggestions!!!

Thanks!

In Stride,
Martha Rosett Lutz
lutzrun at avalon.net

a.k.a. the old lady sprinter in Iowa; now Dr. Lutz (officially, as of 17
May 2002) AND received All-American honors (for the second time in 2002)
for bettering the National Standard in a 200 meter race on 1 June.



 
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