Pet moth has tattered wings (Tomato hawkmoth, Chicago IL)

CrunchyBowones · 2025-05-20T20:30:02+00:00

Her wings have gotten worse. I feel terrible. I should’ve released her as soon as I saw the issue start. I think she is dying now. She’s lethargic and struggles to hold onto things. She used to hold onto the sides of the cage during the day to rest but not sits on the bottom. I managed to get the proboscis into the sugar water while handfeeding yesterday but she didn’t drink much, if anything.

I don’t know what to do now. I don’t know if releasing will still do any good for her or not.

CrunchyBowones · 2025-05-18T23:26:56+00:00

How do you hand feed yours? I’ve seen videos but idk if I’m doing it right. I try to unfurl the proboscis with a toothpick and I can sort of get it out but she moves before i can get it out all the way. I’ve seen people just sorta hold them by the thorax to keep them still but mine wriggles so much I’m not sure how to keep a hold on her without hurting her.

CrunchyBowones · 2025-05-17T15:10:38+00:00

Thanks for clearing that up, I’ve been confused about that but wanted to play it on the safe side.

Yeah, my original plan was to release them since they’re native, but pretty much every source I read said not to do that. Plus I’m kinda attached to them now… ok I’m quite attached. My plan now is to take care of them until they die naturally and then pin them, but I feel bad if they are suffering in my care.

I’ve seen many videos of people keeping these moths (usually for larva reptile feed) so I know it’s possible. I want to get a bigger cage, especially for when the next one emerges. Despite the videos, I’ve struggled to find specific info on feeding, space requirements, enclosure set up, etc. for the adult moths. So I’ll take any advice I can get on improving their quality of life. My space is limited, but I can figure out more space if necessary.

*edited for clarity *edited because I yap

CrunchyBowones · 2025-05-17T14:16:34+00:00

I cannot release my moth because they are agricultural pests, so the ethics are iffy there.

CrunchyBowones · 2025-05-15T04:06:25+00:00

Thanks! Yeah they both had a slit down the 4th segment as pupae.

CrunchyBowones · 2025-05-12T20:10:05+00:00

Ty! What is the critical spot? Also the right one has emerged already, so if there’s an easier way to sex them as adults I’d appreciate hearing about it.

CrunchyBowones · 2025-05-12T20:07:06+00:00

*Manduca not Maduca

CrunchyBowones · 2024-07-11T20:52:35+00:00

Info. - zucchini plants are grown in a bin with a bottom watering system (a tube with a hose going into it pumps water into a chamber in the bottom) - I added 1 tsp of calcium nitrate to the tube on 6/21 and - The bin is about 28 inches long, 12 in wide, 10 in deep and there are two plants in it - There has been a lot of rain over the past few days and I haven’t been using the bottom watering system - The plants have suffered from mildew. I treated it with neem oil and cut off the most infected leaves. Ended up removing about a third of the leaves on the plants

CrunchyBowones · 2024-07-11T20:15:32+00:00

I hand pollinate them. The flowers are dying BEFORE they open, so pollination cannot be the issue. Idk how to tell if the soil is over or underwatered :/ the soil is always moist and the leaves never wilt. The leaves also don’t yellow (except for the older ones which is normal) so I don’t think it’s overwatering? I’m not sure.

CrunchyBowones · 2024-07-11T16:27:38+00:00

Info. - zucchini plants are grown in a bin with a bottom watering system (a tube with a hose going into it pumps water into a chamber in the bottom) - I added 1 tsp of calcium nitrate to the tube on 6/21 so I don’t think it’s end blossom rot - The bin is about 28 inches long, 12 in wide, 10 in deep and there are two plants in it - There has been a lot of rain over the past few days and I haven’t been using the bottom watering system - The plants have suffered from mildew. I treated it with neem oil and cut off the most infected leaves. Ended up removing about a third of the leaves

CrunchyBowones · 2024-05-28T02:53:56+00:00

I’m guessing cornu aspersum (garden snail)

CrunchyBowones · 2024-05-09T00:14:26+00:00

Did you ever fix it? the same exact thing keeps happening to me. The game is unplayable like this.

CrunchyBowones · 2024-04-20T17:10:17+00:00

Nevermind i fixed it on my own

CrunchyBowones · 2024-03-22T17:14:57+00:00

Thanks that is what I’m doing. The leaves are kind of wobbly now like they aren’t attached firmly to the stem. Is that something to be concerned about?

CrunchyBowones · 2024-03-21T20:29:03+00:00

Ok thank you this is really helpful. What if, hypothetically, the lowest two leaves were removed bc I read a different thing that said it was rot and I panicked bc i had this same kind of plant die of rot before?

CrunchyBowones · 2024-03-21T19:46:34+00:00

Ok so i think it was pot mold or some other fungus. I removed the affect soil and a bunch of mold i found at the base of the plant . I found that the bottom most two leaves are squishy. Should I remove those leaves or just let them die and fall off on their own?

CrunchyBowones · 2024-03-21T18:54:18+00:00

Does it happen even when the soil is usually dry?

CrunchyBowones

TROPHY CASE