Silkmoths and more: Antheraea godmani

Antheraea godmani ... now this is a species that you don't see every day. This Central American Antheraea is almost never offered for sale. As a result, there are very few pictures of the caterpillars and even less breeding reports. So, I suppose you wont mind that I post more pictures then usual. These days, I rarely get excited about a species, but godmani gave me a thrill that reminded me of the first years of my breeding career. This is a large Antheraea, with caterpillars growing to ten centimeter long and a thumb thick. As for many species in this genus, the preferred food plants are oaks (Quercus). I used Quercus rubra, which was well accepted even though the quality of the leaves wasn't perfect. A few caterpillars stayed behind and eventually I had to switch those to the evergreen Quercus rysophylla. When you manage to obtain stock, keep them warm at all time. Room temperature really is an absolute minimum. They are best kept in spacious, well ventilated plastic containers.