The African Moon moth, Argema mimosae (Boisduval, 1847), is a classic of the butterfly house and a favourite of many hobbyists. This large moth occurs across much of east and southern Africa, enduring harsh conditions within its very tough cocoon and emerging during the rainy season when conditions are more suitable for breeding. To ensure healthy emergence, keep the cocoons in a warmish room and mist them heavily at least once daily to mimic environmental cues. The adult moths pair easily, however successful breeding requires that a male and female emerge at roughly the same time (within a couple of days of each other) as hatching can occur quite sporadically. Eggs take two weeks or less to hatch, with young caterpillars displaying bright red and black striping, then becoming fully red in the second instar before turning green in the third and remaining so until pupation. They benefit from rearing in plastic containers in the first stages but can be switched to mesh enclosures for the fourth and fifth instar, though mature larvae will benefit from occasional misting, drinking water droplets. In the summer season, the best host plants are Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Smokebush (Cotinus), or Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina). In winter, Eucalyptus is probably the only available host plant, and the caterpillars do well on it. In captivity these moths are continually brooded if kept relatively warm and humid, however in the wild they are highly seasonal with peak flight observations in October and January, suggesting two distinct broods.
