Polyphemus Moth Larvae

These little darlings are larvae of the Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus).

A member of the giant silk moth (Saturniidae) family, Polyphemus moth larvae host on a number of hardwood and shrubby plant species including willow on which they are currently being reared. These caterpillars will grow up to 4 inches in length and will then spin cocoons of brown silk as a protective coating around their pupae. The cocoon will regularly incorporate leaves and other natural debris to help disguise the developing moth from predators.

The adult Polyphemus moth has wings up to six inches in wingspan and a distinctive large eyespot on each hind-wing which they can flash if they are disturbed by a predator. This large eye marking often serves to scare away would be predators by making them believe they have chosen prey that are larger than they can handle.

These eyespots are where the moth gets the species epithet after the Greek Cyclops Polyphemus. In Greek mythology the one-eyed Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon and is encountered by Odysseus and his band of sailors in Homer’s Odyssey.

As adults, members of the giant silk moth family lack working mouth parts and do not consume nectar or any other food. Instead they subsist entirely on nutrients that were consumed by the larvae and stored through the process of metamorphosis. Polyphemus moths and other moths in the Saturniidae family have fairly short life spans, usually lasting around 5 days in which they seek out mates and lay eggs.

This is the first time that we have reared Polyphemus moth larvae from eggs so expect to see lots of pictures of this process as the caterpillars grow! These caterpillars can consume lost of different host plants but we have chosen to rear the larvae on willow because of our abundant supply of this tree in the Backwoods Forest Preserve.