Sphinx Moths - Hawk Moths

[missourimothhunter]

The stuff I read on Hawk moths doesn't make it clear which of them 'drink nectar' and which never do. Some folks seem to think
that all moths drink nectar from flowers. I pity the moths that live
(so short a time) and never can get a drink --usually because of
having no tongues to do so, I guess.

Darwin famously had some passage about: the population of bumble bees dependent on...Widows owning cats...cats thinning
out the mice...the mice eating bumble bees hibernating in the ground. Which makes me wonder: what animals may eat our Sphinx moths while they are in the ground? I would guess that moles, shrews, mice, snakes eat our colorful Hawk moths while they are in the ground?

[oehlkew]

My Sphingidae of Missouri page is at
www.silkmoths.bizland.com/MOsphinx.htm
As far as i know the moths in the Smerinthini tribe do not feed,
but I believe all of the other species do feed.
I suspect you are correct about the animals that feed on Sphingidae pupae. I would not be surprised if skunks also feed on them. Birds eat many of the larvae, and parasitic wasps and flies result in the deaths of many larvae. There are also other insect predators that feed on the larvae.
Bill Oehlke

[myotis]

This year, I lost a number of pupa to deer mice that (I thought) were in a secure container in my garage. I would add raccoons and maybe possums to the list of rodents and skunks that I would bet dig up and eat sphinx (and other) pupa. This past spring I had a female polyphemus out in a cage awaiting a mate. I awoke in the middle of the night to check on it and found polyphemus wings everywhere as well as an enterprising raccoon sitting on top of the cage snatching the males out of the air. I would be curious if snakes also eat the pupa but have my doubts. Most of the snakes that would large enough to eat sphinx pupa do not eat insects. Many of the snakes that eat insects are too small (Ringnecks, brown, etc) . Garter, ribbon , and green snakes would be the right size. I am really curious if they would.

[somewhatpeculiar]

Nov 27, 2012 16:20:47 GMT -8 oehlkew said:

My Sphingidae of Missouri page is at
www.silkmoths.bizland.com/MOsphinx.htm
As far as i know the moths in the Smerinthini tribe do not feed,
but I believe all of the other species do feed.

Seems to be the same in nothern europe. Smerinthini do not feed on nectar although I found a note that they might feed on tree sap or water. But I'd say it's unlikely as they eat anything as they only live a few days to a week as imagos.