Help needed for Atlas Moth

[alvinsclee]

We have an injured Atlas Moth in school... it's wing was torn and it has just laid some eggs!

Would like to know how we should feed the moth to nurse it to health and how we should take care of the eggs. What is the host plant for the caterpillars?

Thanks.
Alvin

[Commander]

Poor thing. If its wings are torn, it can never fly nor can the wings be repaired. It will die a slow natural death if you are not able to feed it. Coming to think of it, I recall that some moths cannot feed. :hmmm: I wonder if the Atlas is one of them. Anyway, just stir up some sugar solution, and soak a piece of cotton wool with it. Put it near its mouth if it indeed has to proboscis to feed. Otherwise, you may want to practise euthanesia. :sweat:

As for the eggs, I have seen the cats on Rambutan, Soursop, Melastoma and quite a few other plants that I can't remember now. Do you have a rambutan tree in your school? If so, that's one of the plants that the cats will feed on.

Good luck!

[Silverstreak]

One of the known hostplant is Ardisia elliptical.

Closest available cluster of the plant is located at on the left side of Clementi Ave 6 exit into AYE.

[alvinsclee]

Thanks for the comprehensive info. Will try my best to feed moth... should it have to go, at least it knows its off-springs will be in good hands.

[alvinsclee]

Update...

Mother moth died 2 days ago after a long labour, laying eggs for about 3 days... I buried it under a rambutan tree late this morning (wasn't sure what to do with the carcass until I decided to recycle the body for its young).

Pink eggs hatched into lots of green hairy caterpillars... I threw some rambutan leaves from the same tree into the hatchery tank... will monitor the cats.

[Elizabeth]

They feed on guava leaves too. The caterpillars can grow to very big. The adults do not have mouth piece, so they do not feed.
-Elizabeth.

[Common Mime]

Just read from http://mypaper.sg and realise that this Hercules moth only live on its own body fat (accumulated during the caterpillar stage?) and live up to eight days while spent eight months in the cacoon form!!!!

Eight days is enough for her to find a mate and finish laying all the eggs?

[Commander]

Eight days is enough for her to find a mate and finish laying all the eggs?

They're fast workers. :)

Check up on the word pheremones and learn about how the males and females locate each other from miles away.