Mother Of A Moth

 When something large is flying around your yard at twilight, it can only be one of three things:

1) a bat
2) a moth
3) a neighbourhood witch on a broom.

Given that almost every bat in New Brunswick died from white nose fungus, it seemed likely that I was seeing either a moth or a witch. It turned out to be a moth, thankfully, and what a mother of a moth!

I'm no expert at identifying moths, but I'm intelligent enough to know that it wasn't a luna moth. I had, in fact, seen moths like this one before but I'll be damned if I can remember what they were called.

Ian be damned.

This called for a research foray to the internet. Stay tuned.

So, it looked like it's my good friend Antheraea polyphemus! Basically it's a giant silk moth. Here's some facts about this moth, from Wikipedia:

The Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths.^[1] It is a tan colored moth, with an average wingspan of 15 cm (6 inches). The most notable feature of the moth is its large, purplish eyespots on its two hindwings. The eye spots are where it gets its name – from the Greek myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. The species is widespread in continental North America, with local populations found throughout subarctic Canada and the United States. The caterpillar of the Polyphemus Moth can eat 86,000 times its weight at emergence in a little less than two months.

Can you imagine eating 86 000 times your weight in two months?

"I could."

Mike Hughson, is that you?!