Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer, 1776)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Upperside is reddish to yellowish brown; forewing margin is usually lighter than the basal area; forewing submarginal line is pink, or black and pink. Clear oval eyespots are ringed with yellow, blue, and black; hindwing eyespot is separated from the basal area of the wing by a thin pink line. Underside has rust, brown, and pink markings.
Wing Span: 3 15/16 - 5 7/8 inches (10 - 15 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge from their cocoons in the late afternoon, and mating occurs the same day from late evening to early morning. Females lay eggs that evening, singly or in groups of 2 or 3 on leaves of the host plant. Newly-hatched caterpillars eat their eggshells, and caterpillars of all ages are solitary. Older caterpillars eat an entire leaf and then cut the leaf petiole at the base so it falls to the ground, perhaps a defensive measure to eliminate signs of feeding.
Flight: One brood in the north from May-July, two broods in the Ohio Valley and southward from April-May and from July-August, two broods in the California Sierra Nevada, several broods throughout most of the year in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana.
Caterpillar Hosts: A wide variety of trees and shrubs including oak (Quercus), willow (Salix), maple (Acer), and birch (Betula).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous hardwood forests, urban areas, orchards, and wetlands.
Range: Locally common in its broad range; in Canada in province except Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island; in the United States, every state except Arizona and Nevada; and Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Caterpillars can be occasional pests in California plum orchards.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 3843 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: Michele Connors
Region: Pitt County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 11, 2024
Observation date: Jun 04, 2024
Submitted by: Ashley3452
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Blayne Crabtree
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 08, 2024
Observation date: Jun 05, 2024
Submitted by: David White
Region: Penobscot County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: May 26, 2024
Submitted by: dnight30
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
Observation date: May 23, 2024
Submitted by: Kkkennedy
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
Observation date: May 30, 2024
Submitted by: Denisefbryant
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 31, 2024
Observation date: May 30, 2024
Submitted by: EliseA
Region: Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: May 30, 2024
Observation date: May 19, 2024
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: May 18, 2024
Submitted by: Chrysanthemum
Region: Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 20, 2024
Observation date: May 09, 2024
Submitted by: Underscore1234
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 19, 2024
Observation date: May 15, 2024
Submitted by: Judy Pannirello
Region: St. Lucie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 18, 2024
Observation date: Apr 27, 2024
Submitted by: Debarace
Region: Texas, Wood County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 18, 2024
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: Debarace
Region: Texas, Wood County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 18, 2024
Observation date: Mar 30, 2024
Submitted by: Bluemyst
Region: Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 18, 2024
Observation date: May 15, 2024
Submitted by: overworkedjanet
Region: Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 15, 2024
Observation date: May 13, 2024
Submitted by: chewbertJ
Region: Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 13, 2024
Observation date: May 05, 2024
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 06, 2024
Observation date: Apr 18, 2024
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Apr 20, 2024
Observation date: Apr 11, 2024
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 11, 2024
Observation date: Jun 09, 2015
Submitted by: sevenkat9
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 19, 2024
Observation date: Mar 03, 2024
Submitted by: bp24kel
Region: Texas, Kimble County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 18, 2024
Observation date: Mar 04, 2024
Submitted by: aturney
Region: Texas, Polk County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 18, 2024
Observation date: Mar 03, 2024
Submitted by: a.pacheco
Region: Texas, Williamson County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 18, 2024
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