Silkmoths and more: Phiala species Malawi

It has taken a lot longer then expected, but finally I'm able to show the first Monkey Moth caterpillars since the start of these pages. It's a shame that members of the Eupterotidae moth family are so seldom available for breeding. Many of their caterpillars are quite spectacular. To get these, I had to fly to Africa myself. It was in the Dzalanyama Forest in Malawi past december that I caught the female. It took almost a month before the eggs hatched. This is a grass feeder. The larvae immediately accepted Carex pendula (pendulous sedge). Although the breeding is very easy - as long as you keep them warm and dry - it's also a slow process. Only now, four months after I caught the female- they have reached the final instar. In a week or so the first ones will start to pupate. Given the slow development I suppose this species has only one flight per year.