plantings in the northern Great Plains. The moth has a wingspread of 125 to 150 
mm. There is a white, crescent-shaped spot near the center of each wing, a red- 
bordered crossband on each wing, and a dark spot near the end of each forewing. 
They fly from April until June, depending on location. Full-grown larvae are 75 to 
100 mm long. The head is green with two black spots on each side, and the body is 
pea green. There are pairs of large, coral-red tubercles dorsally on the second and 
third thoracic segments, 15 yellow tubercles on top of the first to eighth abdominal 
segments, and blue tubercles on each side. All tubercles bear stiff, black bristles. 
Winter is spent in large, thick, tough, gray-brown silken cocoons firmly fastened 
lengthwise to bare branches. Larvae may be found from June to October, depending 
on location. The tachinids Lespesia samiae (Webber) and Winthemia cecropia 
(Riley) are common parasites in the Northeast. 
The promethea moth, Callosamia promethea (Drury), occurs throughout most 
of the Eastern United States and southern Canada, and feeds on a variety of hosts 
such as ash, cherry, lilac, sassafras, spicebush, yellow-poplar, maple, and birch. 
The adult has a wingspread of about 75 mm. The wings of the female are reddish 
purple to brown with light-brown borders, and are crossed near the middle with a 
wavy white line; each bears an angular white spot near the middle. Each forewing 
also bears an eyelike spot near the apex. A full-grown larva is about 50 to 62 mm 
long. The head 1s small and yellow; the body bluish or greenish white. The second 
and third thoracic segments each bear a pair of large, coral-red tubercles or horns; 
the eighth abdominal segment bears a large yellow one. Each segment is also 
ornamented by a series of black buttons. Winter is spent in a tough, light-colored 
cocoon enclosed in a leaf. The petiole of the leaf is attached to the twig by a very 
strong band of silken threads. 
The luna moth, Actias luna (L.), occurs from southern Canada to Florida and 
Texas and has many hosts such as beech, birch, persimmon, sweetgum, willow, 
oak, hickory, black walnut, eastern hophornbeam, and butternut. The adult moth, a 
very beautiful insect, has delicate green wings that may spread to well over 100 
mm. Each forewing bears a conspicuous eyelike spot and is edged with a purplish- 
brown band. The hindwings extend into long, curved swallowtails. The full-grown 
larva is about 75 mm long. The head is bluish green with brown on the sides; the 
body, pale green with six pinkish or greenish tubercles armed with bristles arising 
from each segment. A pale-yellow line runs along each side of the body. The tips of 
the dorsal tubercles on the second and third thoracic segments are red; the re- 
mainder, yellow. Winter is passed in a cocoon, usually on the ground. Moths are 
present from April to September, depending on location. There may be two or even 
three generations per year in the South. 
The polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer), is widely distributed 
throughout the United States and Canada and feeds on many species of trees 
including basswood, beech, birch, elm, hawthorn, hickory, maple, oak, yellow- 
poplar, willow, ash, butternut, walnut, sassafras, and sycamore. The moth is 
yellowish brown and has a wingspread of 100 to 150 mm. There is an eyelike 
transparent spot and a sooty, transverse stripe outwardly edged with light pink near 
the outer margin of each wing. Full-grown larvae are apple green and about 75 mm 
long. The head is reddish brown, and the thoracic shield is sometimes margined 
with yellowish green along the front. Body segments are angular on the back, and 
each bears six orange or golden tubercles from each of which arise one to three 
bristles. The last segment bears a purplish-brown V-shaped design. Winter is spent 
in a tough, thick cocoon usually enclosed in a leaf attached to a twig or on the 
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