Sent when ready in May or June. The american oak silk moth is a large, beautiful moth that is very attractive in all its stages. Polyphemus (12-13 cms.) belongs to the antheraea family and has a stunning, smudged, blue eye spot on the hind wing. Whilst not as well known as other species in the same family this is a lovely moth that is well worth breeding. The larvae feeds on hawthorn, willow, birch and many other trees and can be reared in large sleeves, plastic boxes or cages. They have beautiful orange/ scarlet tubercles which project a shimmering effect.
Larval foodplants: oak (quercus), apple (malus), hawthorn (crataegus), english elm (ulmus) and others.
Rearing: plastic boxes, sleeves, cages.
Photographs: egg pair x 20 magnification; 1st instar larvae x 20 magnification; 2nd instar larvae on oak; 3rd instar larvae on oak; 4th instar on oak.
