Species Antheraea polyphemus - Polyphemus Moth - Hodges#7757

7757

Polyphemus was the mythological one-eyed cyclops, mentioned in The Odyssey of Homer.

Wingspan 10-15 cm

Adult: large, brown, with a small round eyespot near the middle of the forewing, and a huge round or elliptical eyespot near the middle of the hindwing. Males have much smaller bodies but much larger and more feathery antennae than do females. There is a lot of variability in this species.

Larva: body large, bright green, with red and silvery spots below setae, and oblique yellow lines running through spiracles on abdomen; diagonal streak of black and silver on ninth abdominal segment; head and true legs brown; base of primary setae red, subdorsal and lateral setae have silver shading below; end of prolegs with yellow ring, and tipped in black

Deciduous forests, orchards, some wetlands. Adults (imagos) of both sexes frequent at lights.

In southern United States, adults fly April-May and July-August (2 broods); in northern part of range, adults fly from May to July (1 brood).

Larvae present March to November

Larvae feed on leaves of broad-leaved trees and shrubs, including birch, grape, hickory, maple, oak, willow, and members of the rose family.

Adults do not feed.

Two or more generations per year in the south, one in the north. Cocoon is often prominent in winter, left hanging from a host plant and easy to spot. Cocoons are also spun in leaf litter.