If you already have food for the caterpillars, I would not delay the hibernation for too long.

I've always had mixed results with overwintering ova, coincidentally, I've got some verecuna ova I purchased and have been

keeping them in an unheated outbuilding, I'm under the impression the ova were laid last fall, and have undergone

whatever diapuase overwintering ova go through- if any. I've got willow just leafing out and expect to be using that.

You didn't mention when the ova were laid, that might make a difference in when the eggs can be set out.

My seller gave me the impression the eggs could be set for hatching once there were leaves available. The advice

was to " keep them cool, possibly on a north side of your house". I never asked for any other information, as food plant

information is readily available, and doesn't always apply to every situation anyway.

I did mention my mixed successes with using the refrigerator for overwintering ova, the advice was to- keep them outdoors,

not always possible or practical though.

The original source was Taichung City in Taiwan, looking up weather, it never gets below 47f, and is actually pretty

warm there right now, A refrigerator could be too cold for them?

I had the eggs of verecunda in the fridge from beginn og Dezember to April last year and I had no problems with the eggs. most of them hatched. The food was growing late last year.

One has hatched on April 1, I have been keeping them in my unheated sunporch, and bringing them indoors

to an unheated room since March 14th, I live on the coast in Oregon, so our nights are usually mild for winter, lows

in the high 40's or low 50's, once the porch would get into the 60's I'd bring them indoors to an

unheated room. I was hoping they'd stay unhatched a little longer, my Salix babylonica is just leafing out, the larva may be eating it, it's hard to tell right now. I've got it indoors in my usual method of starting larva, a cut twig in water in a plastic container,

too cold still for outdoors I think, and I'll be able to see any frass easily.

But- it's just one larva for now, and I suppose tomorrow or the next day more may hatch, I've got a total of 20 or so, I hope it

takes the willow, there's no chance of any of my other choices getting leaves anytime soon.

more hatchings today, and, as happens as often as not, I had to get them to a foodplant choice in the morning

and leave for the remainder of the day, so I couldn't play with them, tomorrow will be more productive, and maybe

I'll get some definitive signs of feeding. At least they are hatching and the overwintering was successful.

The first was a single, then yesterday and today they hatched sporadically throughout the day, I'd probably call them

small batches at this point, it'll be 8 at a time, then 6, then 3, like that, pretty normal for Saturniidae, how many you

get at a time just depends on how many ova you've got. I expect a few more tomorrow probably, and that'll be that,

then I have 3 days to get them to eat. If you're not aware, sometimes misting the leaves can stimulate a response,

and they'll also stay hydrated.

Sweetgum,,, I wish mine was leafed out, it'll be another 6 weeks or more, one of my last to get leaves, I do have

an evergreen oak though, it's too small to carry larva, but if I have trouble getting mine to accept the willow, ceanothus

and deciduous privet I'm trying now. Mine are settled in on the offerings, but no signs of feeding yet.

Exotics. Always substitute food plants.

Quote from coultrain

Thanks I'll try the misting. Still don't see any signs of feeding but a couple are grouped on sweetgum. I added some willow and have cherry ready. 3 more hatched. but far from the amount I have.

Try hawthorn if you have those availible

When there are doubts about the food plant, it does get difficult. A person could separate 2 or 3 larva on different

offerings, or, my current approach- throw everything in a box and see what happens. Anything with leaves is

potential fodder, and it can make a breeder an unpleasant person to be around at these times. "How are your caterpillars

doing?' What- did you say something? I must have missed it. I have some hope, a few of the larva are clearly larger and

there seems to be some frass, where it came from, I have no idea right now, I used my 2X glasses and gave everything a

once over today, then gave up before I got a headache.

Room temperature, about 73 on the average, day and night, it's still too cool at night to go outdoors, and the foodplant

issue is still , an issue. I think they have gravitated to the lilac, ceanothus and the deciduous privet, I forget which species

it is. I've never raised larva like this before, in a box with cut food plant, I like using a vase, water and a nice airy cage

with led lighting and a timer, this is just haphazard right now. Some are clearly in early L2, with the little yellow line

along the feet. It'll take another molt before I'll try to make a change with the setup, I've had larva expire after pecking

along for 10 days or so at something they're not satisfied with.

This is just one of those things, with new species, and the food plants- what works for one person doesn't always happen

happen twice, and some sources will quote food plant as being acceptable, and fail to disclose they never produced

an adult.

I had them on prunus padus twice and I had no problems to get from 60 eggs about 45 pupae.

The first ti me I had 15 eggs and I got 14 pupae. A friend of me had 60 eggs, too. He had only 2 pupae, the rest died. He toock the same food, only 20 km away from me. With other species he had more luck then me. The same food doesń t work good with the same spezies. Propably the earth of the foodplants make a difference.

Perhaps, it is interesting what ever the issue is, I know some species have regional preferences, depending on

where the stock originated, Some species will eat about anything, switch food plants and mature, others, just

won't even take being switched from one tree to another of the same species,

That's where our skill at gardening comes in handy, and a person's collection of horticulture.