The caterpillar is an almost fluorescent lime green. It has vertical yellow lines passing down its body. The head is brown, and it has impressive mouth parts.
The cocoon is oval, has a tough outer layer of silk, and is usually wrapped in the leaves of the plant or tree on which the caterpillar was feeding. The cocoon falls to the ground when the host plant or tree sheds its leaves in the fall.
The moth emerges from the cocoon in the spring and is a large, beautiful member of the giant silkworm family. It is seen in the Skiatook, OK area from April through August. It has an average wingspan of 6 inches. Its overall coloring is reddish-brown. It has a large eyespot, surrounded by yellow and blue rings, on each hindwing. A small eyespot is seen on each forewing.
The name polyphemus comes from Greek mythology. Polyphemus was a one-eyed cyclops in Homer’s Odyssey, first appearing in the 9th book as a man-eating giant. He was the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. The moth was named polyphemus because of the large eyespot on each hindwing.
