Polyphemus Moths recorded 35 times in 60 days this summer

Polyphemus Moths (Antheraea polyphemus) have been turning up steadily since late May — 35 observations across 60 days, from residential streets in Grand Rapids to rural townships near Lansing, with the most recent confirmed sighting at Whistle Stop Park in Byron Center on July 26.

These are among the largest silk moths in North America, with wingspans reaching six inches. The large eyespots on their hindwings — giving the species its name from the one-eyed Cyclops of Greek myth — serve as a defense against predators during the adults' brief final days. Adults live only a week, never eat, and exist solely to find a mate.

The larvae feed on oaks, maples, birches, and cherries, making the species a tracker of woodlot edges and riparian corridors across a range of settings. That these moths are turning up from urban parks to farm-country woodlots suggests broadleaf tree cover is widely distributed here, though presence records alone don't tell us how well connected those patches are.