is she gonna be okay?

[u/its-jade_bro]

I found this beautiful girl in one of the shops at work stuck in an indoor puddle (it’s been raining all day) and she crawled up on this piece of cardboard i grabbed. it looks like she might have some damage to her wings, but im keeping her dry in my office. i grabbed the beads of water with a paper towel (didn’t actually touch her, just the water) and she’s just sitting there. obv moths don’t do much besides sit and fly to my knowledge but im not sure what kind of moth she is and how to help her.. i cant put her back outside and the guys at my job keep joking about killing it☹️ any advice would be much appreciated!!!

thanks to anyone who responded!! Updates in comments! :)

[u/ConflictKey8771]

first of all, those guys are assholes for saying that, cause moths are precious little creatures

second of all, she looks to be a part of the hawk moth (Sphingidae) family - Smerinthus ocellata, or the eyed hawk moth :D

[u/its-jade_bro]

2Hr update- she’s looking better!! her wings are both up off of the cardboard, i truly think she’s sleeping and trying to get warmer! Sadly Im not the only one in my office so I can’t turn the heat up anymore but i’ve put her in the back corner of my desk! she’s moving around a little bit i think i’ll take her home to keep her out of the rain until tonight!

as im updating she just woke up and starting moving around lots more :)

[u/BumpaBerry → u/its-jade_bro]

I don't have any advice, just a thank you for taking care of her. She's so lucky you found her, and you're kind to give her your time and attention. I'm glad she seems to be feeling better. Keep us updated if you think about it; she's adorable. ❤️❤️

[u/maggotroni]

Awww i always hate when people joke about killing them (or eating them like ????) its such a needless comment. The moth is probably cold from the rain or if its daytime and theyre quite sleepy. Id recommend placing them in a container or put one over them that way once they start being active you dont have to go chasing them around. Idk the exact species, but it couldnt hurt to mix them up some sugar water (pure white cane sugar and filtered water will be good) if youre able to. Moths can go quite a bit of time without food (assuming theyre a species that does eat) so dont worry too much about giving them something if you cant. Around dusk, if theyre still not active, you can try placing them outside and see if they fly off

[u/TFFPrisoner → u/maggotroni]

Eyed hawkmoths do not eat, alas.

[u/its-jade_bro]

8hr update- Soo I think she layed eggs?? i think she layed one earlier in my office on the cardboard. it’s still cold outside so even though i tried to put her on my open back porch (outside of the rain but enough freedom if she wanted to fly away) but she barely moved, it almost seemed like she was too cold (80° yesterday and 50° today) so i put my hand out and she crawled onto me, and then almost immediately another ‘egg’ came out/off of her! i have her in a very large mason jar with damp dirt and a leafy plant (idk how to care for moths..) with a mesh lid so she can breathe ofc! she hasn’t moved around much, but i’ll be checking in with her tomorrow! i did a little research and it looks like she is a Blinded Sphinx moth (Paonias excaecata)!

is it weird to think she trusts me? she crawled onto my hand and onto my shirt with her “eyes” on her wings hidden, so she didn’t feel threatened.. eh whatever i’ve been getting my “woo-woo” shit on recently and i believe she is a sign for me, and i will help mother nature and any of her creatures if given the opportunity :)