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You'll probably be surprised to uncover this info
on the feeding of Goliath and Trevo Worms
Manduca quinquemaculata, more commonly known as Goliath
Worm, Tomato Hornworm, or Tobacco Hornworm, is the
caterpillar (larval stage) of the beautiful and huge Sphinx,
Hawk, or "hummingbird" moths.
As you may guess from the common names, they are large,
growing up to three or four inches long; and have a flexible
spine ("horn") or eyespot marking on the hind end, and are
commonly found eating tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant and
tobacco plants.
They are attractive caterpillars. Most are bright green with
seven white stripes running diagonally across their bodies
and the horn is red or black depending on the species. Some
also have small black "bull's-eye" spots along the sides,
one to each segment.
Warning about feeding Hornworms to your Pets
Only feed hornworms acquired from pet food suppliers because
worms collected on your own can be dangerous. Since they are
pests to gardeners and farms, wild-picked worms may have
eaten plants that have been sprayed with pesticides or may
have eaten types of plants that are poisonous to your pets.
Most suppliers that sell hornworms will provide or sell
packaged foods to feed these large and always hungry worms.
Hornworms provide an excellent nutritious variation to the
diet of any insectivorous animal that is large enough to eat
them.
The Trevo Worm
The Trevo Worm is actually also a caterpillar, the larval
stage of the Chilecomadia moorei (Chilean Moth) from central
Chile in South America. Trevo worms are so named because the
Chilean Moth lays its eggs only in Trevoa trinervis, the
Trevo bush, and that is the only plant that the caterpillars
will eat. The worms are collected by hand from the Trevo
bushes in their native mountains and shipped weekly to the
USA.
Trevo Worms are a fairly new addition to the live pet food
market, but Trevo Worms are said to be easy to ship and
store and highly nutritious, so they may become much more
popular, especially if they can eventually be raised in
captivity. The worms are three-quarters to one and one half
inches long (two to four centimeters), about the length of
Superworms. They are fat and soft as caterpillars usually
are and so are good food for young, smaller or more timid
animals. Their calcium content is said to be twice that of
any other feeder insects!
How to care for your purchased Trevo Worms
Trevo Worms are normally shipped in wheat bran as a bedding
material. You can store them in the packaging they came in.
Simply put them into your refrigerator or another place that
stays at temperatures around forty-two to forty-five degrees
Fahrenheit (six to eight degrees Celsius) and most of them
will stay alive for up to three or four months. The Trevo
worm stays in the larval stage for as long as six years, so
you don't have to worry much about their changing to moths
on you.
More about
Invertebrates
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