I just thought that I would take a few minutes to send you a few thoughts and observations that might be useful.
Firstly, you will have noticed that I am rearing Antheraea paphia at the moment. In your website A mylitta and A paphia are listed as being the same species.
I have reared A mylitta on a number of occasions and I can say that these A paphia are quite different. My A mylitta were huge with egg sized cocoons. The A paphia that I have are much smaller - similar size to most A polyphemus that I have reared. Their colouration and patterning is more similar to mylitta than species such as A pernyi and A roylei - but they are different. The larvae are also different - e.g. less 'hairs', less 'silver droplets'.
Thanks, Alan, I now treat paphia and mylitta as separate species.
A mylitta has been imported into the UK many times and is described as being difficult to rear "needs lots of heat & humidity" etc.
When I first reared mylitta I only succeeded in rearing four out of fifty through to cocoon. However, I have found out what the problem was. The recommended foodplant here is Oak (in the UK Q robur or Q petraea). The larvae take to it well, but most die in 3rd or 4th instar. I tried some on Cider Gum (Eucalyptus gunnii) which is commonly grown in UK gardens now and is quite hardy. All of the larvae thrived. I didn't lose one. Unfortunately it was only 9 out of 9 and I didn't get a male & female out together to get another generation. However, a couple of years later I purchased a few cocoons, obtained some pairings and tried to rear 80+ larvae. Same result! 100% success rate. They don't need special conditions at all - just a more suitable foodplant. Then they are as easy to rear as A pernyi.
My experience has been that if a foodplant is borderline acceptable you need to take special care of the larvae. I reared some Argema mimosae some years ago. Those on a potted Liquidambar plant (indoors) thrived. Those on cut Liquidambar foliage all died despite my best efforts. I've had a similar experience with Actias luna here in the UK. They are very easy to rear on Liquidambar or Walnut no matter how I keep them - but on Birch it depends on how they are kept. I can sleeve them on Birch and they are fine - but on cut Birch foliage they always die eventually.
I wrote a short article last year on my breeding success with Argema mittrei. I'll update it shortly and send you a copy if you think tht this will be of interest to the Membership.
I would expect live food to always be preferred
to cut food. Some cut food plant stems are better at transporting
water than others. I suspect cherries and willows and most plants
that can be rooted from cuttings, are good transporters of water.
Birch dries out fairly quickly.
If cut food stems are to be used, they should either have the cut ends
immersed in a container of water that the larvae cannot access or the cut
ends should be wrapped im moist paper towelling that I usually wrap again
in a sheet of aluminum foil.
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