Silkmoths and more: Pseudodirphia mexicana

The hardest part of rearing Pseudodirphia mexicana is getting breeding stock. This is not a species that is available very often. Too bad, these larger larvae (up to ten centimeter when full grown) are quite spectacular with a strange combination of dark brown, dark pink and green. As long as you manage to keep them entirely dry for the entire caterpillar stage you should not have any problems. They like it somewhat warmer. A day temperature around twenty five degrees Celsius will do. Keep them in spacious, well ventilated plastic containers. I used hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), but they can be reared on a number of related plants like oak (Quercus), hazel (Corylus), birch (Betulus) and also willows (Salix). They are fairly slow growers. It takes seven to eight weeks before they start to pupate. The pupae will overwinter in an unheated room.