Hornworms?

[Lacibeth]

Hornworms are part of the Sphingidae family of moths: hornworms, hawkmoths, and sphinx moths. If you've ever heard a gardener cursing tomato hornworms--they're in the same family. Off the top of my head I can't think of a problem using them as a food source. Waxworms are another moth larva which a keeper told me one were "squishy bags of fat", so I don't know if they would be a good staple food.

[chamowner]

PROS:Their green color makes them great for stimulating feeding response.
CONS: Monstrous eaters growing to huge size extremely quick.
68% protein, 20.7% fat
Excellent feeder, but remember variety is the spice of life.

[BG]

Variety!!!!!!!!!!

[Jace]

Thanks everyone! I thought I read some where they were a good food source, but then blanked. My frogs staple are earthworms, which I can get year round. I occassionally give them crickets, but because my male is so large, he barely registers he's swallowed 20 of them in 30 seconds, so that could get expensive. I was breeding hissing cockroaches, but they took too long to get to a decent size and the babies escaped everywhere which did not make me popular in my household. Hornworms are a seasonal food, but I will try and get them as I can just so my boy and girl can have a nice treat. Very excited now!

[MonsterPyxie]

there good enough for bear grylls! haha.

why no dubia? customs or something?

[UncleChester]

Like one of these? Quite frankly I'm afraid of them. I've probably read Dune too many times.

Is their diet a potential concern? The Tomato hornworm devours tomato plants, which are in the nightshade family and are poisonous to some stuff. I might be spreading fear for fears sake, but I'd be wary of using a hornworm that came from the wild. I'd imagine any source that breeds them for feeders wouldn't feed them a potentially toxic diet though, and I don't know why else you'd breed them. Except possibly to sabotage a competing tomato farmers crop. Or fishing bait I suppose. Or maybe to ride during your insurrection.

[Lacibeth]

Like one of these? Quite frankly I'm afraid of them. I've probably read Dune too many times.

Is their diet a potential concern? The Tomato hornworm devours tomato plants, which are in the nightshade family and are poisonous to some stuff. I might be spreading fear for fears sake, but I'd be wary of using a hornworm that came from the wild. I'd imagine any source that breeds them for feeders wouldn't feed them a potentially toxic diet though, and I don't know why else you'd breed them. Except possibly to sabotage a competing tomato farmers crop. Or fishing bait I suppose. Or maybe to ride during your insurrection.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks of Dune.

Usually w/ captive/feeder populations they feed mulberry.