Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus
Moth
Large tan giant silk moth (Saturniidae) named for the single large eyespot on each hindwing, with a wingspan of roughly 10-15 cm. The caterpillar is a broad generalist that feeds on the foliage of many native deciduous trees and shrubs, with oaks (Quercus), birches (Betula), willows (Salix), and maples (Acer) among its most-used hosts. Adults have vestigial, non-functional mouthparts and do not feed, living only about a week to mate and lay eggs, so the species depends entirely on larval host trees rather than nectar sources. Because the host range is so wide, a yard with native canopy and shrub layers can support local populations.
Conservation
Globally secure: NatureServe ranks the species G5 (Secure), reflecting its wide distribution and abundance. It is not federally listed in the United States. A documented threat is the introduced tachinid fly Compsilura concinnata, released to control spongy moth, which parasitizes Polyphemus caterpillars across the eastern United States; light pollution and habitat loss are additional pressures on this and related silk moths.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 36
Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) is a well-documented oak feeder — its large green caterpillars graze the canopy through summer. Oaks (Quercus) are the single most important native larval host genus for moths and butterflies in North America, so a pin oak of any size meaningfully feeds the local Lepidoptera community.
Oak canopy is a primary larval host for the polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), one of many giant silkmoths and other Lepidoptera that scarlet oak supports as a keystone eastern hardwood.
Oaks (Quercus spp.) are a foundational larval host for the giant silkmoth Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), whose caterpillars feed on oak foliage through summer — part of the keystone Lepidoptera community oaks support.
Ash is among the recorded host plants for the polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), one of several giant silk moths that feed on ash foliage.
Range
Widespread across continental North America, occurring in every U.S. state except Arizona and Nevada and in most Canadian provinces. Two generations per year are typical across much of the United States (an early-spring and a late-summer flight), with a single generation in the north.