polyphemus moth - Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer) Introduction (Back to Top) The polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer), is one of our largest and most beautiful silk moths. It is named after Polyphemus, the giant cyclops from Greek mythology who had a single large, round, eye in the middle of his forehead (Himmelman 2002). The name is because of the large eyespots in the middle of the hind wings. The polyphemus moth also has been known by the genus name Telea but it and the Old World species in the genus Antheraea are not considered to be sufficiently different to warrant different generic names. Because the name Antheraea has been used more often in the literature, Ferguson (1972) recommended using that name rather than Telea to avoid confusion. Both genus names were published in the same year. For a historical account of the polyphemus moth’s taxonomy see Ferguson (1972) or Tuskes et al. (1996). Figure 1. Adult male polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer)(dorsal view). Photograph by Donald W.

Hall , University of Florida. The family name Saturniidae is based on the eyespots of some members of the family that contain concentric rings reminiscent of the planet Saturn (Powell 2003). Because of their ease of rearing (Collins and Weast 1961, Villiard 1975) and large size, polyphemus moths are often reared by amateur enthusiasts and also have been used for numerous physiological studies - particularly for studies on molecular mechanisms of sex pheromone action. Description (Back to Top) Adults: The adult wingspan is 10 to 15 cm (approximately 4 to 6 inches) (Covell 2005). The upper surface of the wings is various shades of reddish brown, gray, light brown or yellow-brown with transparent eyespots. There is considerable variation in color of the wings even in specimens from the same locality (Holland 1968). The large hind wing eyespots are ringed with prominent yellow, white (partial) and black rings.

On the upper surface, there are pink-edged white ante-medial and post-medial lines on the forewing and a pinkish white-edged, black post-medial line on the hind wing. The undersides of the wings have areas with pinkish-white and others with various shades of brown. Figure 2. Adult male polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer)(ventral view). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Figure 3. Adult female polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer)(dorsal view). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Figure 4. Adult female polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer)(ventral). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Polyphemus antennae are quadripectinate (comb-like on four sides) with those of males being larger than those of females. Figure 5. Male and female polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer) antennae. Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida.

Eggs: The slightly oval flattened eggs are white with two broad brown rings and are cemented to the substrate with a dark brown adhesive. Maximum reported dimensions in millimeters are 2.4 × 2 × 1.52 (length × width × height) (Peterson 1965). Figure 6. Eggs of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Larvae: Packard (1914) provided detailed descriptions of the eggs and each of the five larval instars and color drawings of instars 1 to 4. He gave the following lengths for the five instars: 1st instar: 5 to 6 mm, 2nd instar: 14 to 15 mm, 3rd instar: 20 to 25 mm, 4th instar: 40 to 45 mm, 5th instar: 60 mm. First instar larvae are white with two black transverse bars on the tops and sides of each segment. Figure 7.

First instar larva of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Older instars are yellow-green, and the setae become relatively less prominent with each molt. The translucent yellowish-green to green, full-grown (fifth instar) caterpillars are 60 to 75 mm in length (Godfrey et al. 1987). They have yellow mid-segmental lines that run from the sub-dorsal scoli (setae-bearing, wart-like bumps) touching the spiracles and to the lateral scoli on abdominal segments 2 to 7. The scoli are orange to red, and the lateral aspects of the dorsal and sub-dorsal scoli are silver. The dark area of the anal plate extends as a line part way across abdominal segment nine. Fifth instars have a yellow band that extends around the dorsal and lateral areas directly behind the head, yellow bands laterally at the bases of the thoracic legs and a yellow mid-ventral line that extends the length of the abdomen.

Fifth instar male larvae can be differentiated from female larvae by the presence of a black pit on the ventral aspect of the ninth abdominal segment of males that is lacking in females (Miller and Machotka 1980). Figure 8. Late instar larva of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Figure 9. Fifth instar larva of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Cocoon and Pupa: The single-layered cocoon is thicker and more elliptical than the cocoon of the luna moth (Wagner 2005). Figure 10. Cocoon of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. The pupa is obtect (wings and appendages are appressed to the body). Female pupae may be distinguished from males by the presence of a longitudinal notch on the ventral surface of the fourth totally exposed abdominal segment. This notch is lacking in males.

Also, the much larger developing antennae of male pupae touch each other at the mid-ventral line while those of female pupae do not. Figure 11. Male and female pupae of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. The pupa is anchored to a loosely spun pad of silk at the rear of the cocoon by a cremaster (spines at the tip of the abdomen) that facilitates emergence of the adult from the pupal exoskeleton. Figure 12. Cremaster on posterior end of pupa of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Life Cycle (Back to Top) The polyphemus moth is univoltine (one brood per year) from Pennsylvania northward (Holland 1968) and bivoltine (two broods per year) from the Ohio Valley southward (Tuskes et al. 1996). However, due to staggered emergence, adults may be found during every month of the year in Florida (Heppner 2003).

The adult moth escapes the pupal case by splitting it at the anterior end and pushing the top up. Unlike the other large silk moths, the polyphemus and luna moths lack an escape “valve” in the cocoon to aid their emergence. Therefore, in order to escape their cocoons they secrete a trypsin-like cocoonase enzyme to digest the sericin component of the silk at the anterior end of the cocoon to soften it (Kafatos and Williams 1964, Hruska et al. 1973). The cocoonase is produced and released from the highly modified maxillary galeae (the structures that form the tongue or proboscis of moths and butterflies that feed as adults). The moths then tear their way from the cocoon by the use of chitinous spurs on the thorax near the bases of the front wings while moving about the cocoon in a circular pattern (Hilton 1965). Actually, there are two spurs on each side - a large spur and a smaller spur immediately anterior to it (see photo). Figure 13.

Thoracic spurs on thorax of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Figure 14. Cocoon of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer) with emergence hole. Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Adult eclosion (emergence from pupa) typically occurs in the afternoon with males usually beginning emergence several days before females from the same brood. Afternoon emergence allows time for expansion and drying of the wings prior to the evening flight period. Also, during the first day after emergence, the moth voids the liquid meconium which is composed of the breakdown waste products of the old larval tissues. The adults are strongly attracted to light - particularly UV wavelengths. There has been some concern that light pollution from man-made sources (particularly mercury vapor street lights) may deter silk moths from mating and have a negative impact on their populations in urban areas (Worth and Muller 1979). Fortunately, mercury vapor lamps are not used as commonly as they once were for street lights.

Females release a sex-attractant pheromone and may attract males from a distance beginning late evening of the day of emergence. The sex pheromone has been characterized as a 90:10 mixture, respectively, of trans-6,cis-11-hexadecadienyl acetate and trans-6,cis-11-hexadecadienal (Kochansky et al. 1975). While males are attracted all night long, maximal attractiveness is during the last two hours before sunrise (Kochansky et al. 1977). Mating pairs remain coupled throughout the day and separate at dusk. Either caged or tethered females can be used to attract wild males. Worth (1980) has designed a tether for this purpose that prevents the tethered moth from escaping or twisting the tethering line around its body. Females begin laying eggs the evening after mating and continue for several nights. Eggs are laid singly or in groups of two or three on leaves of the host plant (Opler et al. 2012 ). In captivity, they will lay their eggs on any substrate.

Adults have vestigial mouthparts and do not feed. Therefore, they are short-lived. Caterpillars are solitary and develop through five instars. Immediately after hatching, caterpillars eat their egg shells (Opler et al. 2012 ). Older instars eat whole leaves and then sever the petioles to drop them to the ground (Tuskes et al. 1996) - possibly to obscure their presence from predators The presence of large larvae on branches overhead may often be detected by the presence of frass (caterpillar droppings) on pavement of driveways or parking lots. Figure 15. Frass (fecal pellets) of larva of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Caterpillars exposed to short photoperiods (8-12 hours) produce diapausing (overwintering) pupae while those exposed to long photoperiods ( >17 hours) produce non-diapausing pupae (Mansingh and Smallman 1967).

Both induction and termination of diapause also may be influenced by temperature (Mansingh and Smallman 1971). Polyphemus caterpillars are polyphagous and have been reported in nature from over 50 species of broad-leaved plants (Ferguson 1972, Heppner 2003, Tietz 1972, Tuskes et al. 1996) and will feed on a wide variety of species in captivity. Polyphemus caterpillars use the full range of cocoon placement behaviors found in the subfamily Saturniinae as described by Wagner and Mayfield (1980): 1) Attached longitudinally and permanently to a twig so that the cocoon does not fall to the ground during the winter. 2) Attached apically by a silk peduncle (occasionally by a double peduncle) to a twig. Peduncle may be weak allowing cocoon to fall to ground during winter or strong so that cocoon remains on tree all winter. Attachment by a peduncle may be more common in the South (Wagner 2005).

3) Attached among leaves on trees but with no peduncle so that most fall to ground during winter. 4) Spun on ground among fallen leaves, grasses or herbs. In the West, Native Americans sometimes fill the cocoons of polyphemus and other silk moths with sand or pebbles to make rattles by tying them to sticks or to their ankles for use as musical instruments (Himmelman 2002). Defenses and Natural Enemies (Back to Top) Polyphemus caterpillars are never sufficiently common to cause significant damage to their host trees except occasionally in California where they may be pests of commercial plums (Tuskes et al. 1996). Their populations are regulated by natural enemies - including insect parasitoids and generalist predators. Polyphemus caterpillars gain protection from predators by their cryptic green coloration. When threatened they often rear the front part of the body in a "Sphinx" pose - possibly to make them less caterpillar-like to a predator.

If attacked, polyphemus caterpillars as well as those of many other bombycoid moths make a clicking noise with the mandibles - sometimes as a prelude to or accompanied by defensive regurgitation of distasteful fluids. Brown et al. (2007) found that ants and mice were deterred by the regurgitant of the polyphemus caterpillars and suggested that the clicking is a warning of the impending regurgitation. Figure 16. Caterpillar of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer) displaying the characteristic “Sphinx” pose. Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Cocoons hanging in trees are susceptible to attack by squirrels (Young 1982) and woodpeckers (Waldbauer 1970). Cocoons falling with the leaves in the fall or being spun among leaves or grasses on the ground. may be more susceptible to attack by mice in the leaf litter, but Waldbauer (1996) believes that these cocoons gain protection from their random scattering in the litter and that the majority of cocoons that remain suspended in trees are attacked by woodpeckers.

Figure 17. Cocoon of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer) with 2.0 mm diameter hole in top. The cocoon contained a hollow pupal exoskeleton with a hole of identical size, shape, and location as that in the cocoon. The hole is like those reported by Waldbauer et al. (1970) that were caused by hairy and downy woodpeckers. Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. When threatened, adult polyphemus flip the front wings forward and also often flap the wings exposing the large hind wing eyespots -- possibly to startle potential predators. Cryan (1973) reported an incident in which display of the eyespots appeared to protect a polyphemus in flight from blue jays. Tuskes et al. (1996) listed the following insect parasitoids (with references) of polyphemus: ten species of tachinid flies (Arnaud 1978, O’Hara and Wood 2004), four species of chalcidoid wasps (Krombein et al.

1979, Peck 1963), one species of braconid wasp (Krombein et al. 1979), five species of ichneumonid wasps (Krombein et al. 1979, Townes 1944), and one species of proctotrupoid wasp (Collins and Weast 1961). Old cocoons made by caterpillars that were parasitized by ichneumon wasps have an exit hole made by the wasp that is similar to that made by woodpeckers. However, they can be differentiated from cocoons attacked by woodpeckers by the presence inside of the cocoon of the ichneumon and the cadaver of the polyphemus caterpillar. Figure 18. Cocoon of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer) with exit hole made by an ichneumon wasp parasitoid. The cocoon contained an ichneumon wasp cocoon. Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. Figure 19.

Cocoon of polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer) with an ichneumon wasp cocoon. Photograph by Donald W. Hall , University of Florida. luna moth - Actias luna (Linnaeus) Introduction (Back to Top) The luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus), is arguably our most beautiful moth. Examples of its popularity include its appearance on a first class United States postage stamp issued in 1987 (Figure 1); its selection to grace the front cover of A Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (Covell 2005); and the use of an animated luna moth in the 2007 television commercials for the sleep aid Lunesta. Figure 1. In 1987, the United States Post Office issued a first class stamp with the image of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida.

Described and named (as Phalena plumata caudata) by Petiver in 1700, the luna moth was the first North American saturniid to be reported in the literature (Tuskes et al. 1996). The original Latin name of the luna moth which referred to the long tails was lost when Linnaeus converted the name to a binomial with the specific epithet luna in 1758. The family name Saturniidae is based on the eyespots of some members of the family that contain concentric rings reminiscent of the planet Saturn (Powell 2003). The luna moth gets its name from its moon-like spots. Description (Back to Top) Adults: The adult wingspan is 75 to 105 mm (Covell 2005). Adult luna moths are large green moths with a long tail on each hind wing and discal eyespots on both the fore and hind wings (Figures 2 and 3).

The luna moth is univoltine (one generation) from Michigan northward, bivoltine throughout the Ohio Valley, and trivoltine southward (Tuskes et al. 1996). In Louisiana and Florida, adults may be found during every month of the year Also, reared specimens often differ in coloration from those in nature (Ferguson 1972). Figure 2. Adult male luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 3. Adult female luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Lyle J. Buss , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Adults of the spring brood in multivoltine (two or more generations) populations are typically a deeper green with reddish-purple wing margins while those of later broods are more yellowish with yellowish margins (Packard 1914, Tuskes et al. 1996). Moths from southern populations tend to be smaller.

Luna antennae are quadripectinate (comb-like on four sides) with those of males being larger than those of females. Males are more yellowish-green while females are more blue-green in color (Packard 1914). Eggs: The slightly oval eggs are white, mottled with the brown adhesive (Figure 4). Maximum reported dimensions in millimeters are 1.9 x 1.6 x 1.2 (length x width x height) (Peterson 1965). Figure 4. Eggs of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Larvae: The bright green full-grown caterpillars are 55 to 70 mm in length (Godfrey et al. 1987). There is a yellowish-white sub-spiracular line on abdominal segments one through seven and posterior yellow lines extending across the dorsum of segments one through seven to just above the level of the spiracles.

A mid-segmental transverse band of setae-bearing scoli occurs on all thoracic segments and abdominal segments one through eight. The body is sparsely covered with short, white, spatulate setae. The head varies from green to brown. Just prior to pupation, caterpillars turn a reddish color. Early instars (Figures 5-7) differ considerably in appearance from the later instars. Packard (1914) provides color drawings and detailed descriptions of each of the five larval instars, but it should be noted that there is some variation in larvae from the same egg batch as well as considerable variation in larvae from different populations. Larvae of all instars reared by the author differ markedly in appearance from those illustrated by Packard. Some fifth instars are considerably more setiferous (hairy) than others even among siblings (Figures 9 and 10).

Packard (1914) gave the following lengths for the five instars: 1st instar: 6 to 8 mm, 2nd instar: 9 to 10 mm, 3rd instar: 13 to 15 mm, 4th instar: 23 mm, 5th instar: 65 mm. Figure 5. First instar larva of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 6. Second instar larva of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 7. Third instar larva of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 8. Fourth instar larva of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W.

Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 9. Fifth (last) instar larva of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 10. Fifth (last) instar larva (more sertiferous) of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Cocoon and Pupa: The single-layered cocoon is wrapped in leaves (Figure 11). The dark brown, posterior end of the obtect (wings and appendages are appressed to the body - most abdominal segments are immovable) pupa (Figure 12) is anchored to a pad of silk at the rear of the cocoon by a cremaster (hooked spines) (Figure 13) which allows the adult to emerge from the pupal exoskeleton. Figure 11. Cocoon of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W.

Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 12. Pupa of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Lateral view. Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 13. Pupa of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Female pupae (Figure 14) may be distinguished from males (Figure 15) by the presence of two longitudinal notches on the ventral surface of the fourth and fifth totally exposed abdominal segments. These notches are lacking in males. Figure 14. Female pupa of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Note the two longitudinal notches on the ventral surface of the fourth and fifth totally exposed abdominal segments. Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 15. Male pupa of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W.

Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Life Cycle and Biology (Back to Top) The adult moth escapes the pupal case by splitting it at the anterior end and pushing the top up (Figure 16). It then cuts its way from the cocoon (Figure 17) by the use of serrated, chitinous spurs on its thorax near the bases of the front wings (Hilton 1965, Priddle 1967). Figure 16. Cut away of cocoon with split pupal exuvium of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 17. Emergence (exit) hole in cocoon of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Adult eclosion (emergence from pupa) typically occurs in the morning with males usually beginning emergence several days before females. Morning emergence allows time for expansion and drying of the wings prior to the evening flight period.

Also, during the first day after emergence, the moth voids the reddish-colored, liquid meconium which is composed of the breakdown waste products of the old larval tissues. The adults are strongly attracted to light – particularly UV wavelengths. There has been some concern that light pollution from man-made sources (particularly mercury vapor street lights) may deter lunas and other silk moths from mating and have a negative impact on their populations in urban areas (Worth and Muller 1979). Males are strong fliers and may disperse over relatively long distances. Females release a sex-attractant pheromone and may attract males from a distance. Mating usually takes place during the first couple of hours after midnight. Adults have vestigial mouthparts and do not feed. Therefore, they are short-lived. Females begin laying eggs the following evening after mating and continue for several nights (Tuskes et al. 1996). At least in captivity and probably also in nature, the eggs may be laid either singly or in small clusters. Caterpillars are solitary (Tuskes et al. 1996) and develop through five instars.

Caterpillars exposed to short photoperiods produce diapausing pupae while those exposed to long photoperiods produce non-diapausing pupae (Wright 1967). When caterpillars are full-grown, they may begin to wander. The cocoon is spun among the leaves of the deciduous host plants but is not anchored to a twig as is the case with many polyphemus moth cocoons. Therefore, they fall to the ground in autumn (Holland 1968) as the leaves fall and are not commonly seen. Development from hatching to pupation takes a month or longer depending on temperature. Luna moth caterpillars are never sufficiently common to cause significant damage to their host trees. Host Plants (Back to Top) Broadleaf host plants belonging to a large number of genera have been reported as hosts for luna moths (Godfrey et al. 1987, Tietz 1972). However, some of the reported host plants may not be suitable for all populations of lunas. Lindroth et al.

(1989) studied first instar survival, duration of larval stage, and pupal weights of caterpillars fed on eleven different plant species and found that survival was poor on some plant species that were reported in the literature as hosts. It appears that different geographical populations of luna moths are adapted to different host plants (Lindroth et al. 1989, Tuskes et al. 1996). Lindroth et al. (1989) suggested that biochemical detoxification of host defensive chemicals by caterpillar enzymes may be a factor in this host plant specialization. Northernmost populations most often utilize white birch, Betula papyrifera Marsh, as a host. More southerly populations use a variety of host plants particularly members of the walnut family Juglandaceae (walnuts [Juglans] and hickories, [Carya] [Figure 18]); sumacs (Rhus) (Figure 19); sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua L. (Figure 20); and persimmon, Diospyros virginiana L. (Figure 21) (Tuskes et al. 1996).

Villard (1975) lists hickory as the preferred host, but recommends that rearing be done in sleeves or cages on living plants since most hickories wilt rapidly when cut. This obstacle can be overcome by diligently supplying fresh food. Sweetgum works well for captive rearing. Figure 18. Pignut hickory, Carya glabra (Mill.)Sweet, a host of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 19. Winged sumac, Rhus copallinum L., a host of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 20. Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua L., a host of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Figure 21.

Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana L., a host of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Donald W. Hall , Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. Natural Enemies (Back to Top) Luna caterpillars are hosts for a number of insect parasitoids in the families Tachinidae, Ichneumonidae, and Pteromalidae (Tuskes et al. 1996, Kellog et al. 2003). All luna moth stages also are subject to predation by a variety of invertebrates and/or vertebrate predators. The adults are not even safe at night. Kellog et al. (2003) reported that the ground below an owl roost was littered with saturniid wings including those of luna moths. Defenses (Back to Top) Luna caterpillars gain protection from predators by their cryptic green coloration. When threatened they often rear the front part of the body in a "sphinx" pose – possibly to make them less caterpillar-like to a predator.

If attacked, luna caterpillars as well as those of many other bombycoid moths make a clicking noise with the mandibles – sometimes as a prelude to or accompanied by defensive regurgitation of distasteful fluids. Brown et al. (2007) found that ants and mice were deterred by the regurgitant of the polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer), and suggested that the clicking is a warning of the impending regurgitation. When the adults are in flight, the twisted long tails are believed to interfere with echo-location by hunting bats (Barber et al. 2015, Lee & Moss 2016). Luna Moth Statement Fiber Brooch Saturniid by BlueTerracotta Ask a question Item details This item is READY TO SHIP and ships from France within 1-2 business days once you've placed your order. Re-discover the magic of butterflies (and moths!) They remind you of happy summers when you were little. They made a walk in the countryside a magical event. You watched them for hours. Sketched them in your notebook.

Colored them in your “Butterflies of the World” coloring book using many crayons of your much-loved box of 64 Crayolas. Just like your first experience with the wondrous. Your child-eyes focusing on all the stunning colors and patterns the world offered up. And they still make you smile today! This Luna moth Actias luna can be worn as a brooch and she’ll also find a place in your home as a soft sculpture. She’s made from green silk, backed with upholstery fabric cotton. She’s got the long elegant tails of a Saturniid moth (that’s her family), a furry body made of fake fur, feathery antennae. Wingspan 5”, 4.5” high. Near life-sized. FREE REGISTERED SHIPPING! UF/IFAS Okeechobee Extension Service | Polyphemus Moth Cocoon Feature Article - for release the week of April 6, 2008 Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent Whatï¿½s that Bag? An office visitor brought in a curious hanging thing form their oak tree last week. It was vaguely familiar to me, but I let our Master Gardeners do the legwork on this mystery.

They came up with an answer which presents an interesting story worth sharing with readers. The story involves a bit of Greek mythology, a natural self-defense mechanism, a lesson on dealing with worms on your plants, and a fascinating look at a beautiful creature that may occasionally pop up in our Florida Yards. A small silk bag The local gardener that brought in our mystery bag reported that there where a couple of these things hanging around his oak tree. Okeechobee Master Gardener Terry Lane also reported that she has seen a small number of these containers on the oaks in her Florida yard. I suggested that it may be some kind of cocoon, so she started her search for photos of insect cocoons, and soon she tracked it down. An office visitor brought in this specimen from their oak tree for identification. It is the empty cocoon of an infrequent moth found in Florida yards. Photos Dan Culbert, UF/IFAS Polyphemus is a mythological creature mentioned in Homer's Odyssey. This painting was created by J.H.W. Tischbein in the late 1700's. It turns out this fuzzy bag is an empty cocoon case for a large moth.

It has the curious name of Polyphemus Moth, Antheraea polyphemus. (The approximate pronunciation is ï¿½Pal-e-FEE-mus.ï¿½). The wings have very prominent eye spots that give the moth its name ï¿½ the one-eyed Cyclops in Greek mythology was named Polyphemus (see figure at right.) At this time of year in Florida, a first generation of these moths is now emerging from their silken cases. The fully developed adult secretes an enzyme that helps dissolve a flap in the cocoon, and the emerging adult wiggles its way out. Big, Brown and Beautiful Adult Polyphemus moths may have wingspans of 4 to 6 inches. The general color is anywhere between red and brown, but there are several unique markings that make these moths distinctive. Males and females look very similar except the male has larger feathery antenna, while the ladies have a larger body to hold their eggs. The female Polyphemus moth (left) has a broader body and thinner antenna than the male moth Photo: L.L. Hyche, Auburn Univ. Close-up of hind wing eye spots.

They may remind us of the Cyclops Polyphemus of Greek mythology; they may also scare away a predator. Photo: Howard Ensign Evans , Colorado State Univ. The front wings have a small transparent wing spot ringed with light yellow. When the moth is disturbed, it shows its back wings, which also have eyespots. These hind wing markings are very noticeable. The blue-black eyes would certainly scare a predator into thinking they were about to attach a much large creature. A short while after emerging from the cocoon the adult is ready to find a mate. Female moths secrete a pheromone that attracts males from miles away, and then she spends the next week finding suitable trees to lay single eggs. Adult moths do not feed at all during their brief final stage of life. Several generations of these moths can be found in Florida, while in more northern areas two generations per year are more typical. The adult Polyphemus Moth is a member of the regal moths or giant silk moths. This family (Saturniidae) includes many large sized moths often with striking colors and shapes. They attract a lot of attention when they are encountered, especially at night when they bang against a window.

Other Saturn family moths are the lime green Luna Moth, the yellowish Io moth, and the Cecropia moth, a similar reddish brown adult. Great big Green Worm The caterpillar of this moth starts out as a small light brown egg. It hatches into a tiny yellow caterpillar, and will consume 86,000 times its weight in two months. They are not picky eaters, and will feed on trees leaves including oaks maples, elms, hickories and willows. One source even suggested that they would sometimes be a pest on peach and cherry trees; another report said that the Polyphemus caterpillar may eat citrus tree leaves. Recently hatched Polyphemus caterpillars start out yellowish in color. They gradually turn to an apple green color and develop hairy tufts. Photo: L.L. Hyche, Auburn Univ. Fully grown caterpillars measure about three inches long. Photo: L.L. Hyche, Auburn Univ. Full grown larvae are thick bodied and can measure around three inches in length. This species is apple green in color with yellow spots or lines on each segment. The head is reddish brown in color.

The caterpillars of this moth family have lots of barbs and spines that make them look ferocious, but only one of these, the Io moth caterpillar, actually has stinging hairs.

Question: A Saturniid is what type of creature?
Answer: Moth