In a stable population, and a female lays 'n' eggs, then on average only 2 will reach maturity and lay eggs next year. So if n=200, that;s a 99% mortality, i.e. most caterpillars don't make it, due to infections from viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasitoids, and predators. Protective custody improves the odds, but they may well have caught something before they were collected. But itis worth a go, otherwise we will never know what turns into what.
I just don't know what to feed it because they are always on the trunk of trees, nowhere near any leaves. Last year I tried adding bits of barks from the trees on which I found them, but with no success. Will try again.
I placed it in a container with some insects found on the trunk of a similar tree that I can't decide if they are beetle or leaf hopper larvae. This afternoon added a peice of bark with lichen and some gum leaves, just in case. The cone moth has now attached itself to the gum leaves, so who knows. Will keep observing with interest and keep adding both bark and leaves. Would be a long journey up and back to the gum leaves each night but...