Insect Rearing and Observation Program - Taro Worm

Jul 19, 2020

Observe the growth process of taro worms~

My friends all say taro bugs are disgusting.

But I think it is very cute and easy to maintain, as long as the leaves are put in, it will eat by itself.

In fact, the caterpillars were full of small ones at the beginning, and the taro worms became almost as big as an adult's thumb when they grew up.

This is the fattest and biggest one in our family, bigger than my finger

Why is it called taro bug?

Dad said it was actually called "Double Slash Hawk Moth", but because he liked to eat taro leaves, he called it "Taro worm".

It is very good at eating, and it has almost eaten up our taro leaves!

One day, my family and I went to my grandmother's house. My dad and I were thinking, "Are there any taro bugs in the vegetable garden?"

When we went to the vegetable garden, we found that a large leaf was covered with insects and eggs, so we took it home.

I went to ask the google god "taro worm", I asked it "how old is it", the healthy eggs are yellow, oval, 1.3mm wide and 1.5mm long.

Some eggs have not hatched, the surface has been sunken, and some eggs have mold on the surface, and finally turn dark brown, which means that they have not hatched.

How to tell if it is a taro bug?

Dad once told me that taro bugs will have a long, pointed thing on their butt, but that one will not thorn at all, they will grow up to become hawk moths!

Taro worms that have been growing rapidly

How can it change color?

One day, it suddenly changed color. I asked my dad why it suddenly turned brown. Dad said he didn't know, so I went to check. The great god said: The taro worm will change color once, and it was green at first. But in the end, it will turn brown, and then it will become a pupae.

It turns brown, and the fake eyes are still very shiny

And before it wants to pupate, it will first find a suitable place to pupate.

I sent these pictures of pupae to my classmates online, but her mother didn't allow her to see them because her mother said, "These are disgusting!" Woohoo...

I didn't dare to catch them before, but until I got to know them and raised them from childhood to adulthood, I thought they were cute and not disgusting.