Sent when ready in May, June or July. A truly beautiful North American species with red crescents and bands on each wing. Cecropia pairs very easily but rearing the larvae can sometimes be a challenge as they require excellent ventilation. Exposing the larvae to British climate like conditions by sleeving them (with some rain protection) or rearing them in ventilated cages in cool outbuildings appears to yield the best results. The very attractive larvae have scarlet and yellow tubercles and take a wide variety of trees, but favour maples, apple, plum, pear, poplars, willows, hawthorn, birch and others.
Larval foodplants: maples (acer), apple (malus), plum (prunus), pear (pyrus), willows (salix), hawthorn (crataegus), birch (betulae) and others.
Rearing: plastic boxes at very low densities and cages and sleeves in warm, dry conditions and climates.
Photographs: egg trio arranged on leaf x 20 magnification; 3rd instar larvae on sweetgum; 4th instar larvae on sweetgum; 4th instar larvae on sweetgum; adult female at rest.
