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 97 - 120 of 3843 verified sightings
Observation date: May 28, 2019
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: May 30, 2019
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 21, 2023
Submitted by: Tracey McDermid
Region: Van Buren County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: mandbwhitt
Region: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 19, 2023
Observation date: Aug 14, 2023
Submitted by: Termie
Region: Tazewell County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 19, 2023
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Lake County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 19, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: Allison J
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: Crazy Gardener
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 11, 2023
Submitted by: Gretew
Region: Scott County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Aug 15, 2023
Observation date: Aug 13, 2023
Submitted by: Just2bfree
Region: Hanover County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2023
Observation date: Aug 13, 2023
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: TVinik
Region: Yolo County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Aug 13, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: donker254
Region: Fremont County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 10, 2023
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 10, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: JohnL
Region: Sacramento County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Aug 09, 2023
Observation date: Aug 03, 2023
Submitted by: jaspiegs
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Webster County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 05, 2023
Observation date: Oct 28, 2022
Submitted by: heartshapedpearl
Region: Craven County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 27, 2023
Submitted by: Fatcatness
Region: Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: one72guy
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jun 27, 2023
Submitted by: Jamsteve
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: Molly_girl
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
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