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Home » Forums » General Discussion

What does a giant leopard moth eat?

Hi, I'm new to the site and new to the all around bug world in general. Recently I had captured a caterpillar crawling on my driveway because I fell in love with how it looked like a mustache. It cocooned after feeding it leaves from my bushes outside for about a week and a half. About 2 weeks later it hatched! Much to my surprise a beautiful moth appeared! I was in disbelief because I had actually saved a picture of this exact moth not to long ago because it was so pretty. Needless to say, I love my new little pet and want to keep it as healthy as I can. I did a lot of searching around the internet but could only find what the caterpillar ate, not what the adult moth eats. I read somewhere that moths like fruits because they can only suck nectar, so out of impulse I sliced a lemon in half but she doesn't seem to be eating it yet. Just wondering if there is anything better I can feed it or if this will do?
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Contributed by InvaderJim on 21 January, 2011 - 7:05pm

I feed them sugar water. Put
I feed them sugar water. Put the sugar water in a cup with a sponge or cotton ball or something so it doesn't drown. This works for wasps, I'm not sure if it will work for butterflies. When their antennae touch it, they will start to drink. Alternatively, you could just let it go, lol.
… Ammophila procera, 28 January, 2011 - 10:25am login or register to post comments

Hibernation?
You can find some answers in the information page, including a link to instructions on how to raise this moth.
This seems the wrong time of the year to have this moth complete its life cycle. It should have been kept outdoors and given a chance to cool down and hibernate as a caterpillar. You didn't tell us where you live, so perhaps it is OK, if you are in Texas or Florida. Otherwise the adult leopard moth is out of sync with the rest of the world.
… Beatriz Moisset, 22 January, 2011 - 1:33pm login or register to post comments

Well...
Adult moths live for a very short time, and should be left in the wild whenever possible. They only live to mate, and keeping an adult as a 'pet' takes it out of the gene pool. I'd imagine if the moth had our emotions, it would be quite lovesick right now. Caterpillars, on the other hand, can be reared by hand and released upon adulthood.

Best to let it go if you can. Some adult moths don't even feed, since they are simply alive to mate and nothing more.
… Cassie Novak, 21 January, 2011 - 9:00pm login or register to post comments

 
I'm probably going to just le
I'm probably going to just let it go after reading this message because today it has laid it's third batch of what I'm assuming are eggs.

and yes I do live in Florida, when do you suppose would be the best time to let it go, day or night? Mind you it's been very cold lately and super rainy, I want to do my best not to harm it any further then I may already have by keeping it contained. :(

Thanks for all the help guys!
… InvaderJim, 26 January, 2011 - 2:37am login or register to post comments

 
Life span
I asked Bill Oehlke; according to him "... they only live as adults for about 6-10 days, utilizing fats stored on body during caterpillar days." Apparently they don't feed at all and probably don't have mouth parts.
Do you still have your moth? Is it dead?
… Beatriz Moisset, 28 January, 2011 - 9:17am login or register to post comments

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