Silkmoths and more: Automeris egeus

What an impressive looking caterpillar! It's the largest Automeris I've reared so far, with larvae easily exceeding ten centimeter. The long thorns look dangerous, but their sting is not that bad. More like the unpleasant sensation of stinging nettles. I had worse. Often the Automeris caterpillars with shorter thorns are the most painful. Rearing the South American egeus is not that difficult. Keep them warm, clean and in well ventilated plastic containers. They accept a wide range of food plants going from Rosaceaea to Fagaceae and Betulaceae. I started them on Rubus fruticosus, but quickly after the Hazel (Corylus avellana) came back into leaves, I switched the food plant. The combination of stinging caterpillars and bramble thorns is a little much for me. I prefer more finger friendly plants. Other good plants are Salix, Carpinus and Quercus. Depending on temperature and food plant quality they need around seven to eight weeks to complete the larval stages. The moths are expected to emerge somewhere this summer.