Moonlit Cloaks: The Watchful Eyes(?) of The Polyphemus Moth

 Ever wondered how large a moth can get? Well take a gander at the massive Polyphemus moth!

(Massive Polyphemus Moth in the Park) by me

    Last week we talked about Moths and their influence on famous media. This week I wanted to focus on a specific moth known as the Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus). These large brown insects are some of the biggest moths in North America, growing to have a wingspan of around 4-6 inches. As a part of the Silk Moth (Saturniidae) family, they can further be distinguished from their hairy bodies and lack of mouths. Their caterpillars can be distinguished by their fat green bodies with tiny, linear, red bumps. These insects are primarily found almost everywhere in the United States but they mainly focus around the east coast, especially between the months of June and August. I've personally found them between September and October though where I am.

    

    As babies, they can eat the leaves of Oak, Birch, Maple and Willow Trees which they'll voraciously consume until they're ready to metamorphosize. Once they do, they'll wrap themselves in a silk cocoon as most members of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths genus) do. Once broken out, they will emerge as full grown Polyphemus Moths. These moths don't have mouths, which means that their main goal in their final stage of life is to find a mate and have eggs to continue the cycle. They have to hurry though, since they'll only last about a week without the ability to eat which is only a small amount of their overall 3 month long life. 

(Another smaller Polyphemus Moth) by me

    As adults, these insects are perfect examples of Eye-spot mimicry as the bottom of their wings have a large black and yellow spot patter akin to two large eyes (This is actually why they're named after the Greek cyclops Polyphemus!). This style of mimicry makes it so that would-be predators will think they're the ones being watched from afar, since the eye spots are meant to mimic the look of large predators. This is actually a phenomenon seen in more than just insects, but also other animals such as Peacocks, Butterfly Fish, and even Tigers! If this doesn't work, the Polyphemus Moth will fall to the ground and beat its wings in order to intimidate the predator and once again flash its spots. As a mouthless insect, these moths are completely harmless and although they're massive, they enjoy resting in shady spots during the daytime so you don't need to worry about a half-a-foot long moth flying towards your face. 

    The best place to find these majestic insects are near woodland areas such as forests and parks, as well as swamps and urban areas. Going to parks with abundant trees can help a lot with finding Polyphemus Moths. If you'd like to pick up the moth, the best way to do it is to lightly place something like a large leaf under their feet which will encourage them to climb on. You should never pick up a moth by its wings because their wings are extremely delicate and can cause distress to the moth. Moths also have important scales that help them keep their wings colorful and regulate temperature. It's also theorized that the scales can interfere with light (including UV) and even echolocation. In fact, Lepidoptera, the order of moths and butterflies means "Scaly-winged" in Greek.

    These moths show how massive (literally!) the insect world can be. Polyphemus Moths aren't the only large insect in the world, as there are tons of different bugs that may surprise you with their size; from giant beetles, to other large-winged moths and butterflies. Many think that the insect world is small, but it's actually filled with so many creatures that range from massive to tiny. If you ever stumble upon a Polyphemus Moth, or perhaps even some other large insect, I hope that you're able to appreciate them for how extraordinary they are. May the rest of fall treat you all well and Happy Halloween!

(The True Eyes of Polyphemus) by me

Citations:

Antheraea polyphemus – Polyphemus Moth. Prairie Haven. (n.d.).     https://www.prairiehaven.com/?page_id=7738

Lauster, T. (2022, May 31). Butterfly and moth scales. McCrone. https://www.mccrone.com/mm/butterfly-moth-scales/ 

Polyphemus moth - antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). (n.d.). https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/MOTHS/polyphemus_moth.htm

Polyphemus moth | space for life. (n.d.).                            https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/insects-arthropods/polyphemus-moth

Polyphemus moth. Missouri Department of Conservation. (n.d.).         https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/polyphemus-moth