Antheraea polyphemus
| Polyphemus moth | |
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| Antheraea polyphemus, adult male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Saturniidae |
| Genus: | Antheraea |
| Species: | A. polyphemus |
| Binomial name | |
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Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer, 1776) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths. It is a tan-colored moth, with an average wingspan of 15 cm (6 in). The most notable feature of the moth is its large, purplish eyespots on its two hind wings. The eye spots give it its name – from the Greek myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. The species is widespread in continental North America, with local populations found throughout subarctic Canada and the United States. The caterpillar can eat 86,000 times its weight at emergence in a little less than two months.
The lifecycle of the moth is much like that of any other Saturniidae species. It lays flat, light-brown eggs on the leaves of a number of host plants, including: Betula (birch), Salix (willow), Quercus (oak), Acer (maple), Carya (hickory), Fagus (beech), Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust), Juglans (walnut), Pyrus (pear and quince), Prunus (plum, peach, apricot, cherry, etc.), Sassafras, Citrus, and Ulmus americana (American elm).
When the eggs hatch, small yellow caterpillars emerge. As the caterpillars age, they molt five times (the fifth being into a pupa). Each instar is slightly different, but on their fifth and final instar, they become a bright green color with silver spots on their sides. They feed heavily on their host plant and can grow up to 3–4 in long. They then spin cocoons of brown silk, usually wrapped in leaves of the host plant.
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Wikipedia