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 73 - 96 of 3941 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 18, 2025
Submitted by: Latenight
Region: Cameron County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 26, 2025
Observation date: Jun 26, 2025
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Cortland County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 26, 2025
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: pjcampbell
Region: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 25, 2025
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: MWaller
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 22, 2025
Observation date: Jun 19, 2025
Submitted by: anticode
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 22, 2025
Observation date: Jun 21, 2025
Submitted by: dnight30
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 21, 2025
Observation date: Jun 21, 2025
Submitted by: BMagpie
Region: Aroostook County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 21, 2025
Observation date: Jun 09, 2025
Submitted by: pheld
Region: Stark County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 19, 2025
Observation date: Jun 16, 2025
Submitted by: Mmoconnell1
Region: Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 18, 2025
Observation date: Jun 18, 2025
Submitted by: Moosewood
Region: Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 18, 2025
Observation date: Jun 15, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 15, 2025
Observation date: Jun 04, 2025
Submitted by: Lestat997
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 05, 2025
Submitted by: Plaguemoth
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 06, 2025
Submitted by: mkallusky
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 08, 2025
Observation date: Apr 21, 2025
Submitted by: ButtahflyEtn37354
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 27, 2025
Observation date: May 26, 2025
Submitted by: dcs8815
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: May 27, 2025
Observation date: May 25, 2025
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 25, 2025
Observation date: May 12, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 13, 2025
Observation date: May 12, 2025
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 12, 2025
Observation date: May 08, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 08, 2025
Observation date: Apr 25, 2025
Submitted by: BirdMan52
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 01, 2025
Observation date: Apr 23, 2025
Submitted by: boyzeezer
Region: Jackson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 24, 2025
Observation date: Mar 05, 2025
Submitted by: Barjones78
Region: Aransas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 31, 2025
Observation date: Aug 13, 2023
Submitted by: mystromenendez
Region: Carroll County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 18, 2025
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