Antheraea Polyphemus Moth

This beauty was right outside my door early one morning. When I opened the door to bring the paper in, it stayed there. I walked around the butterfly and took photos at a variety of angles. When doing this, I was very quiet and respectful to the moth. What a hairy body! What a feathery antennae! He was such a beauty! The colors were lovely. See the eye in each bottom wing? They help them hide from predators. 

Do you know this moth has a wingspan of more than 5 inches! It's true. They only eat when they are in their larval stage as they have no mouth as an adult moth. 

They are named after Cyclops, a Greek myth. 

There was only one such moth that morning. That one moth started my day on a special note. He wasn't there long after I left. As the sun came up higher in the sky, it flew away. This moth is nocturnal and lives only 5 or 6 days. When it's dark out and your outdoor lights are on, they are drawn to them. 

When you go out in the morning, what do you see?

The above photo is available for purchase.

Thank you for visiting!

Judy

References:

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Polyphemus-Moth

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Antheraea_polyphemus/

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Antheraea_polyphemus/

http://eol.org/pages/386283/details