Chinese Owl Moth, Brahmaea hearseyi - Care Guide

Background

Brahmaea hearseyi (first described by White, 1862), commonly known as the Chinese Owl Moth or Hearsey's Owl Moth, is a silk-moth native to much of south-eastern Asia, including China, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Its wingspan is large and can reach up to 20cm, particularly in warm tropical regions. Easily reared in captivity, larvae feed on readily available host plants, including Privet, Lilac, and Ash.

Host plants - Privet (Ligustrum), Lilac (Syringa), or Ash (Fraxinus).

Rearing difficulty - Easy

Wingspan - 15-20cm with females being larger than males

Native range - Sundaland region and SE Asia

Eggs & hatchlings

Owl Moth eggs should be kept in airtight plastic containers, e.g. tupperware, as this will provide a more stable humidity level and temperature - kept in open air or vented containers, eggs lose moisture quickly, resulting in the caterpillar having difficulty hatching or being unable to hatch at all.

The eggs begin a creamy-yellow colour, before darkening to grey-black when the caterpillar inside has fully developed. This dark colour is an indication that the embryo has matured and developed to the point that the caterpillar is ready to hatch.

Young larvae of this species often like to consume their egg shell as a nutritious first meal, so allow them a few hours after hatching before moving hatchlings to a new container (separate to the eggs) with host plant leaves. Hatchlings benefit from a drink of water at this point, so mist their container very lightly or place them on some damp tissue paper - you will probably see the caterpillars drinking from tiny water droplets!

Caterpillars

The best host plants for these moths include Privet (Ligustrum), Lilac (Syringa), and Ash (Fraxinus). Privet is ideal winter rearing as it is evergreen and can therefore be used at any time of year.

After drinking water droplets, the larvae will quickly move onto their host plants to begin feeding. We typically use Privet but Lilac and Ash are equally acceptable, just ensure the leaves are green and fresh, as the larvae get all their nutrition and moisture from them. Yellowing leaves in the autumn/winter are not nutritious and should be avoided.

Development in Brahmaea is remarkably quick for larvae, usually taking only around 4 weeks from hatchling to pupation when conditions are warm. Even when a bit cooler, development does not take much longer. Caterpillars are also very forgiving, however they require clean conditions so do not allow waste to build up in their containers.

Caterpillars can be moved to mesh cages earlier than most species. Once established and feeding on host plants, you can move larvae to a mesh enclosure. Keep them on cut host plant stems, kept fresh in a jar or vase of water, with any gaps where caterpillars could fall in covered by filling them with cotton wool or tissue paper.

In the final couple of stages, caterpillars become huge and very colourful. At this point, they will require a daily replacement of host plants as they consume the foliage so quickly, even chewing through softwood stems!

When ready to pupate, the larvae make this known by changing in colour from bright green to a golden-orange colour - then beginning to wander around their enclosure for a couple of days or more, until deciding on a suitable place to pupate. In the wild, they would naturally burrow into topsoil, building a small underground chamber within which they pupate and remain until the moth hatches. in captivity, you can leave the caterpillars to pupate at the bottom of the enclosure, or move them to a separate tub with some kind of substrate to pupate in (e.g. tissue paper, topsoil, or sawdust). During cool weather, they can enter dormancy and spend several months in this state!

Pre-pupal Brahmaea hearseyi caterpillars

In the final instar, the caterpillars lose their long tubercles, gaining great size before turning orange then pupating!

Pupae & Adults

Pupae are best kept at room temperature or slightly warmer, misting daily to ensure they do not dry out. They are large, dark in colour, and have a very smooth outer layer. Sometimes, when conditions are unfavourable, pupae go into diapause (dormancy), which can be achieved by storing the pupae at cold temperatures, e.g. in a fridge, stimulating winter. Note that forcing pupae into dormancy can lead to developmental issues or failure to emerge, so we recommend leaving pupae at room temperature to emerge on their own terms!

The adult moths of this species are truly striking and must be seen to be believed! The wing patterns are simultaneously striking and intricate, in a metallic sort of colouration. Breeding occurs at nighttime, typically requiring good air flow to allow males to follow pheromone trails to locate females. Pairings are not necessarily difficult, but tend not to occur without some input to create a suitable environment in terms of temperature, ventillation, and night-day cycle.

Due to the large size of Brahmaea eggs, they tend to only lay around 80-100 per female, but hatch rates are typically high and larvae are large and well-developed relative to hatchlings of other silk-moths. Overall, this is a very rewarding species to rear!

  • L5 Caterpillars

  • Live eggs and pupae for sale online UK

    Adult Brahmaea hearseyi

  • L4 Caterpillar