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Photo by Mrs. Gray's Class, 2002

POLYPHEMUS MOTH

Our Polyphemus Moths
Polyphemus Moth Information
Polyphemus Moth Links

POLYPHEMUS MOTHS We purchased our polyphemus cocoons from William Oehlke. He has a great website, Giant Silkmoths of Prince Edward Island, Canada, http://www3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew/izsaturn.htm . It is a fantastic resource of information about the giant silkmoths.

This is a mount of a male Polyphemus moth. This moth was mounted by Ted J. Perez of Old Town, Florida.

Photos by Mrs. Gray's Class 2002

We placed our cocoons in a net laundry basket. Mrs. Gray removed the side with a pocket and sewed tulle in its place. She closed the open end with a piece cut from the pocket side. She sewed part of the piece onto the opening and used velcro to close the rest of the opening. This allows us to safely open and close our cage.

Mrs. Gray brought in all of the cocoons on April 12.

On May 3rd our first polyphemus moth appeared. She was a beautiful female moths
female

Another polyphemus female moth emerged on May 4th.
moth

Our third beautiful polyphemus female moth emerged on May 6th. She is drying her wings next to our last luna moth.
polyphemus and luna

Three more moths emerged. They are all beautiful males.
male

May 16
Mrs. Gray let each of us hold one of the large female Polyphemus moths today. They have fat fuzzy feet that tickle.

Photos by Mrs. Gray's Class 2010

Photo by Dan MacKinnon
Giant Silkmoths of North Eastern North America
http://www3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew/index.htm l

POLYPHEMUS MOTHS The Polyphemus Moth was named after the One-Eyed Giant Polyphemus of Greek mythology because of the large eye spots on the wings. This moth has the largest range of the Giant Silk Moths. Its range covers all the states in the United states and all of the Canadian provinces except Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and Newfoundland. The Polyphemus moth has a wingspan of 3.5 to 6 inches. It has two broods every year.

Photo by Adam Fleishman
Wings and Things
http://www.wingsandthings.com

The Polyphemus caterpillar or larva feeds mostly on shrubs, alder, basswood, oak, hickory, elm, maple, birch, and poplar. The green caterpillar goes through five growth stages or instars. The Polyphemus caterpillar has a brown/tan freckled head. When the caterpillar is ready to make its cocoon, it finds a safe spot. Then it makes a sticky thread from a hole near its mouth and begins winding the thread round and round its body. It pulls a leaf around the cocoon securing it with the sticky thread. When the moth is ready to emerge from the cocoon, it makes a special juice which softens the cocoon so it can push its way out.

Photo by Dan MacKinnon
Giant Silkmoths of North Eastern North Americahttp://www3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew/index.htm l

The newly hatched moth's wings are wet and wrinkled. The moth will spend an hour squeezing fluid from its body into the wings. Then the Polyphemus moth will remain motionless for the rest of the day to let its wings stiffen and harden. Adult moths do not eat or drink. Moths are active at night and rest during the day. The female moth has a fatter body and very skinny antenna. The male moth has a trim body and wide feather-like antenna. The male moth will take to flight looking for a mate. The female moth will generally not fly until she has mated. Then she will then take flight to lay her 200 - 350 eggs. Adult moths live for about a week. These new eggs will hatch in 10 - 14 days. About 2 of the 200 original eggs will make it to the cocoon stage.

Photo by Mrs. Gray's Class, 1999

Links
Giant Silk Moths of Prince Edward Island
http://www3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew/index.html
Polyphemus Photo
http://entweb.clemson.edu/museum/moths/local/moth21.htm

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