Silkmoths and more: Automeris lauta

Automeris species are always fun to breed, but some more then others. Automeris lauta is in my top five. For several reasons. First of all, because it's rather hard to get stock, that alone makes them special. But there is more. For exemple, they grow quite large, with a size comparable to Automeris randa. And then there is the color pattern of course. Combined with the size of the animals, it makes for a spectacular caterpillar. You wont find much information on this Central American species. They are rarely bred. I can assure you, that's not because they are difficult, they really are not. Just feed them Prunus and keep them warm and dry in well ventilated plastic containers. You can both use Prunus serotina and Prunus laurocerasus, or switch from one to the other like I did late autumn. Most likely the moths will hatch after a relatively short pupal stage.