Species
Polyphemus Moth
Insects
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The Polyphemus moth is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths, named from the Greek myth of the cyclops Polyphemus for the large, purplish eyespot on each hindwing that is its most noticeable feature. It is a tan-colored moth with an average wingspan of about 15 centimeters. First described by the entomologist Pieter Cramer in 1776, it is widespread across continental North America, with local populations found throughout subarctic Canada and in every U.S. state except Arizona and Nevada.
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