Silkmoths and more: Lobobunaea acetes

It doesn't always have to be a challenging brood. Sometimes it's just nice to have a few caterpillars that do not require anything special to be happy. A few Salix leaves and a clean cage, that's all it takes to grow the African Lobobunaea acetes. Young caterpillars are gregarious. Older ones like more space, so do not overcrowd. It doesn't look like it at the start of the brood or even when they've reached the end of the fourth instar, but once they are in the final instar, they start growing and growing and growing until they easily become nine to ten (when stretched out) centimeter. Fat creatures too. It takes some time to get there though. Even when reared fairly warm, they still need six to seven weeks before they start pupating. The prepupal stage itself takes another week. The pupal stage on the other hand isn't very long. Moths emerge after four to five weeks. A somewhat higher humidity encourages them to hatch. Keep the first three instars in well ventilated, plastic containers and move them to netted cages when they've molted to the fourth instar. Other good food plants -besides Salix, which really is the best - are Liquidambar, Ligustrum ovalifolium and Mangifera. Not recommended is Crataegus.