Polyphemus moth

[pol-uh-fee-muhs mawth, moth]

noun

1. a yellowish-brown North American giant silkworm moth, Antheraea polyphemus, having a prominent purplish eyespot on each hindwing and feeding on a wide variety of trees and other vegetation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Polyphemus moth¹

First recorded in 1840–45; named after the mythological character Polyphemus ( def. )