What do you do with your breeders ?

For me, it's a mixed bag. I like to raise new species for my collection and experience. If I catch a female, I'll sell ova and keep
some to raise, for later breeding or sale.

When I buy species I've raised before, it's for the money, which I use to further the hobby. We have no Saturniidae here where my house is, so
release is pointless.

I like taking pictures of caterpillars as well, and I like raising in the winter to bring some summer in during the dark times.

I'm on the fence a little as far as value, living material is usually more valuable though, I do save my extras that are paper worthy for
sale later though.

My current goings on- some Automeris io from captive breeding, common enough, but I can probably turn the cocoons into capital later, an
overload of A. dubernardi from unwitnessed pairings, which made selling ova too much of a risk, so they'll be sold live or papered.

I tried an overnight trip earlier, and it was a bust, probably too early for 4200ft, usually I'd get polyphemus or euryalus to bring home,
the poly are common, and sometimes I don't even bring them home, but the Hyalophora are different and easy enough to raise or turn into
capital.

Right now, I'm missing out on some listings that I'd have taken if I didn't have 100+ larva indoors eating up my pine and taking up all
my cages-besides the ones I sleeved to slow down the growth, it's much cooler here on the coast and it doubles the time it takes anything
to mature.

I have changed out specimens lately, sometimes you just get a better or bigger one, or maybe a color variation.

Keeping in mind that answering that question could be incriminating