Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths (Saturniidae) » Silkmoths (Saturniinae) » Saturniini » Antheraea » Polyphemus Moth - Hodges#7757 (Antheraea polyphemus)
Photo#213316
Large Rust Red/Burnt Sienna Moth with Purple/Pink and Charcoal Bands - Antheraea polyphemus
Copyright © 2008 George Dodge

Large Rust Red/Burnt Sienna Moth with Purple/Pink and Charcoal Bands - Antheraea polyphemus
Chester, Virginia, USA
August 18, 2005
Size: ~4" Wingspan
Please note the small yellow eyespots, feathery grey antennae, and fuzzy thorax. Specimen is clinging to a window screen, approximately one square millimeter spacing.
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by George Dodge on 13 August, 2008 - 1:29am
Last updated 13 August, 2008 - 2:52pm

Polyphemus Moth
Check out Antheraea polyphemus.
… Bobby Grizzard, 13 August, 2008 - 9:00am login or register to post comments

 
That certainly looks like the
That certainly looks like the moth, but the coloring is incredibly different.

Is the coloring a fairly trivial issue? Because the moth I found was so intensely rusty red.
… George Dodge, 14 August, 2008 - 1:02am login or register to post comments

 
well...
In general it's never a trivial issue, and for many moths and even more so with some other insects, ID's based on photos are very difficult... but in your region, there is only one moth that looks like this. I guess the color is somewhat variable.
… Bobby Grizzard, 14 August, 2008 - 9:09am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for your help! Whil
Thanks for your help!

While the color is a little off, there's little mistaking the bands on the wings (which are nearly perfectly reproduced in other images of the species) and other features. Looks like I found me a polyphemus moth. :D
… George Dodge, 14 August, 2008 - 2:33pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact