Anthera polyphemus is a very large moth. The female, seen here, releases pheromones to attract a male so that she can mate and lay eggs. The adults only live for a few days -- they have no mouth and cannot eat. When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars feed on leaves from a variety of trees -- cherry, walnut, beech, willow, hickory and more. The caterpillars eat all summer long. In late summer or early fall, they spin a cocoon to overwinter until spring, when the adult moth will emerge and the life cycle begins anew.
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