Date:         Fri, 30 Aug 2013 13:48:49 -0500
Reply-To:     JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: NVC huge moths in tampa fl
Comments: To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAB2RwfiXvR+ucth-W4V6VF1x6VDiwqgauuJCL1hV6W+us6Lf1A@mail.gmail.com>
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This is the Polyphemus moth. The males have huge feather like antennae.
It's the largest moth in North America with distribution mid-way in into
Canada and across most of the US. The moth is the adult phase of the
largest silkworm we have.  A lot of people raise them. Leaf eaters.
Harmless. If a newly emerged female is around - she will broadcast
phermones into the air at night and males will fly in for miles to find
her. As soon as she mates - the phermones stop and her scent disappears
immediately and the males fly away. She mates and lays eggs only once,
then dies.

A properly preserved and mounted specimen is a show piece.

John


On 8/30/2013 1:20 PM, neil n wrote:
> Beautiful. And right at the door step!
>
> VC: do caterpillars eat Westy canvas?     ;)
>
>
> Neil.
>
>
>
> On Fri, Aug 30, 2013 at 11:03 AM, Project Pat <psdooley@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> I figured with the campers here you might enjoy some front door fauna.
>
>
>> http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag137/psdooley/SAM_0606_zpsebf79817.jpg
>
>
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> Blog: tubaneil.blogspot.ca
>
> '88 Westy http://tinyurl.com/c8rlw6p
>
> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"  http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> Vanagon VAG Gas inline-VR Engine Swap Group:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/d7gd5ej
>