I was stood outside a bank in town one day last week when this crumpled brown shape dropped from the tree branches above. But when it hit the pavement it quickly bounced back up. Leaves don’t usually do that, so I investigated more. To my surprise it turned out to be this big guy – a ‘Polyphemus Moth’ (Antheraea polyphemus). Not necessarily looking it’s best, this large nightcrawler (it was easily 12cm or more) must have had a tough one, but it did stick around just long enough for me to grab a few shots. The intriguing markings in the middle of the back wings of this silk moth are what give it its name, it was named after the Greek mythical cyclops ‘Polyphemus’ – a one-eyed giant with its single optic placed in the middle of it’s head.
