A Moth in the Morning

This morning a flutter caught my eye. On the driveway, I found an enormous polyphemus moth, one of the largest silk moths. I called to my son to join me. He is obsessed with Greek mythology and this gorgeous creature was named for a giant cyclops. The two owl-like eye spots on the hind wings scare away predators, I'm sure.

As I gently lifted the moth, its wings covered the span of my cupped hands. I moved it out of the driveway into the leaf litter nearby. Lost in the fallen leaves, we marveled at its ability to camouflage itself.

Moths and butterflies differ in many ways, most notably by the time of day during which they are active. Moths are mainly nocturnal. Moths' bodies are stocky and furry. They can also be identified by the shape of their antennae: each butterfly antenna is slender with a club at the end, while a moth antenna is feather-shaped. The gender of a polyphemus moth can also be determined by the antennae. The moth on my driveway was a female because her feathery antennae were narrow, a male's would be much wider.

The caterpillars eat a variety of tree leaves including oak and elm. Last spring I discovered their papery cocoons attached to the leaves of the holly trees in my yard. And finally, several generations later, I was greeted by the moth herself. Although not as awesome as a real cyclops I suppose, my son and I spent a few minutes together before school amazed.