Polyphemus Moth
Antheraea polyphemus (Crammer, 1777), fam. Saturniidae, P-no. 890070
Host plants: Highly polyphagous. The recorded hosts are plants in 25 families, utilizing mostly woody species.
Date found(s): July-August, 2026
Location(s) found: St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve Counties, MO
Notes: One of the more commonly found of the large saturniid caterpillars during my searches. At first glance, these caterpillars look like those of the luna moth (Actius luna). However, a few easily remembered characteristics can be used to discern these two species: 1) the head capsule of the polyphemus is textured with long setae that give it a bearded appearance, while the luna head capsule is relatively smooth; 2) luna caterpillars have a yellow subspiracular stripe that is absent in the polyphemus; 3) the transverse lines that are found on the abdominal segments of the polyphemus caterpillar run roughly through the spiracle, whereas these lines seem to separate the segments in the luna.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 