Caterpillars of Eastern Forests

Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus)

Bright green, with red and silvery spots below setae and steeply oblique yellow lines running through spiracles on abdomen. Darkened rim of anal plate continued onto ninth abdominal segment. Caterpillar of luna moth superficially similar but readily distinguished by characteristics given below. Food: oaks, birches, maples, and many other hardwoods. Caterpillar: March to November; 2 or more generations in South, 1 in North.

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