Yam Hawk Moth

The pictures were supposed to give a basic idea of Hawk Moth rearing, but two important steps are missing. Firstly, as mentioned above, I failed to record the late larval stage and pupation and secondly, there is a feature of the release which I deliberately omitted as some sensitive people might not wish to see it. During the "wing gyrations" before their first flight, all Hawk Moths excrete a substantial quantity of liquid, left over in their bodies from the metamorphosis of pupation. This liquid is heavy and has to be excreted to enable flight. It tends to be very messy on the keeper's hands and is not particularly attractive to photograph, but it is an essential part of Hawk Moth life.