Friend or Foe

[CTB]

Checking and fertilizing orchids this a.m., and found this guy. I think it is dead hasn't move for an hour.,

If not should I kill it? What is it, and should I be looking for babies? Thanks for your help

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by CTB

Checking and fertilizing orchids this a.m., and found this guy. I think it is dead hasn't move for an hour.,

If not should I kill it? What is it, and should I be looking for babies? Thanks for your help

LOL we Need a picture.....unless it looks like this

-------------------------- and in that case just leave it alone its ok wont eat a thing.

[johnblagg]

But if it looks like this then kill it quick

__________________

[CTB]

T

[PaphMadMan]

Looks like some kind of Sphingid moth (hawk moths, sphinx moths, hummingbird moths, hornworms). The moth certainly won't hurt anything. The caterpillars could get big and ugly, but usually eat only specific host plants, probably not orchids.

[Duane McDowell]

Friend!

White-Lined Sphinx moth. From Silkmoths.com:
"Larvae are highly varied and feed on a great diversity of plants including willow weed (Epilobium), four o'clock (Mirabilis), apple (Malus), evening primrose (Oenothera), elm (Ulmus), grape (Vitis), tomato (Lycopersicon), purslane (Portulaca), and Fuschia."
The larvae are a problem on tomatoes if their numbers get big enough. The adults drink nectar from flowers at dusk and during the night. They hover much like a hummingbird would.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Whether the caterpillars are a nuisance or not, do not kill this moth.

This moth may be a pollinator for some sort of flower. Maybe an orchid.

Some species of Sphinx Moths are known to pollinate certain species of orchids.

A good example would be Disas. Some species of Disa are actually pollinated by a species of Sphinx Moth.

I wouldn't know what this one specifically pollinates though, but you never know what it's doing when you're not looking.

[Paul]

Beautiful moth in any event.

[dounoharm]

i think i would move it out of reach of the orchids nontheless.....its caterpillar, with nothing but orchids to eat, might eat orchids....i would prefer it outside....very pretty!

[johnblagg]

depinatly a type of sphinx moth whic eat a diversity of plants ....even though thye may not like orchids the eggs if layed on them when they do hatch are going to try them