Polyphemus Moth

a polyphemus moth flashes its hindwing eyes from a branch of apricot blossoms
Polyphemus Moth on Apricot Blossoms
2017

Named for the cyclops Polyphemus in Homer’s Odyssey, this giant silk moth lives at most one week after emerging from its cocoon. Unable to eat, the Polyphemus moth lives only to reproduce. Birds that prey on the moth are often startled into halting their pursuit when the moth raises its forewings to flash the two giant eye spots on its hindwings—a pattern that resembles the face of the Great Horned Owl, an apex predator of the avian world.

Do you love the Polyphemus Moth? Here’s how you can enjoy one for yourself!