The Polyphemus Moth caterpillar grows up to 4 inches in length. It is bright green with oblique yellow lines that pass through the spiracles on abdominal segments 2 – 7. The top of the abdomen has red and silver warts from which long, coarse hairs sprout. The head and true legs are brown. The rim of the purplish anal plate extends midway across abdominal segment 9 (photo D). The adult moth has a wingspan of about 4 inches. The forewing is brown with a small round eyespot near the middle. The hindwing is also brown with a large round or elliptical eyespot near the middle. Males have smaller bodies than females and large, feathery antennae.
The Polyphemus Moth is uncommon in Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods. The adult is rarely seen here. They are attracted to lights. The caterpillars are seen mostly in the fall when they are looking for a location to pupate. The individuals shown here were photographed on the boardwalk at Fontenelle Forest in late September and early October.
The larvae eat the leaves of many trees and shrubs, including apple, ash, dogwood, elm, hazel, hickory, maple, oak, rose and willow. The adult moths do not feed. Polyphemus caterpillars sometimes make a snapping sound with their mandibles. This species overwinters as a pupa in leaf litter. Some climb down the tree and crawl into the leaves while others spin their cocoons in a leaf and drop to the ground with the leaves in the fall. (Reference “Caterpillars of Eastern North America,” David L. Wagner).
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