Polyphemus Silkmoth Cocoon -- Antheraea polyphemus
***Sold out for the season. Please check back around November 22, 2025 for overwintering cocoons.
****SHIPPING to ALL 50 States.
This is the largest silkmoth in the Pacific Northwest. Caterpillars get huge, feeding on a variety to broadleaf trees.
Adult moths do not feed. Instead they live off their built up energy reserves from the larval stage. Because of this, the moths only live about 7-10 days after hatching in spring.
Item Details:
- You will receive one Polyphemus Silkmoth cocoon, inspected for quality and weight before shipping.
- Cocoon is diapausing (sleeping through the winter for eclosion in SPRING 2025)
- We guarantee shipping a live cocoon. Because this is a live animal, there are no other guarantees after shipment.
- We recommend ordering two (2) or more cocoons as occasionally one won't make it through winter/fridge. This is rare, but does occur in nature from time to time.
General Directions:
- Keep inside in a pop-up tent/rearing cage (also available on our site), on top of paper towel.
- Mist every few days, as inside air is quite dry.
- Around Thanksgiving/End of November, place cocoons into a sealed container and into the refrigerator. (It's key to do this before winter solstice)
- Keep in the fridge at approximately 38F, venting monthly for a few minutes and removing any visible moisture.
- Remove from fridge in spring, and 3 weeks prior to the natural flight of this species in the region. We typically remove Polyphemus cocoons around June 1st.
- Again place cocoons in pop-up tent on a layer of paper towel. Mist daily.
- Cocoon should eclose (hatch) in 3-6 weeks.
- Wild release
- There are many resources and online groups to handle questions about live silkmoths and pupae care. Send us an email if you get stuck :)
More in depth instructions and discussion:
