Hummingbird Moth Pupa: What to Do With That Garden “Cocoon”

The brown, spindle-shaped case found in soil is the pupa of a sphinx moth—likely the hummingbird moth (hawkmoth), a day-flying pollinator that hovers at flowers like a tiny hummingbird.

To watch emergence, bury the pupa in loose soil at the bottom of a screened box kept outdoors in a sheltered spot. Adults may eclose in weeks or next spring.