Into the night on furry wings

This is the story of a male Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus). I found him in October, hanging from a goldenrod stem near a stream. Over the winter, I learned about his life. I watched him hanging from the goldenrod through snow and subzero temperatures. In March, concerned that an animal would eat him, I brought him into a terrarium where I could watch more closely. On my dad’s birthday, June 25th, he emerged from his cocoon, and I released him into the night.