Distribution:

widespread and common throughout woodland (wet and dry) in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Kenya in the east and south all the way to South Africa. 

Wingspan:

In between 15 and 19 cm, the largest African member of the Saturniidae

Season:

the lifecycle is slow with often only one flight annually and a pupal stage of several months

Food plants:

Salix (especially caprea and cinerea),  Liquidambar, Quercus, Fagus, Crataegus and many more

Rearing:

An easy species, suitable for newcomers. Keep warm (minimum room temperature) and clean. Rear in spacious, well ventilated plastic containers when young and move to a netted cage once they've reached the fourth instar. At this point they are still surprisingly small for a species this big, but they rapidly gain in size from the fourth instar on.  Avoid condensation and wet leaves, but keep the ambient air humidity medium to high. Ready to pupate within 6 to 7 weeks (depending on temperature and quality of the food). Pupal stage is long (6 to 8 months). Store the pupae around 15 °C and somewhat drier (however, don't let them dry out). The moths emerge after a longer period of warmer and more humid weather (usually our summer).

Difficulties:

preventing the pupae from drying out (or rotting when kept too wet) during the very long pupal stage