Polyamorous Polyphemus?

[jwa121]

In early June, a friend and I put a female Hyalophora euryalus moth and a female Hyalophora columbia columbia moth in separate pop-up netting cages and drove them 2-hours northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, to a location where we knew there to be wild, endemic Hyalophora euryalus moths. (Our female Hyalophora columbia columbia originated in eastern Canada; we were after a hybrid pairing with a male euryalus.)

We arrived at our location in the evening and set out our two cages. We left the doors of the cages closed because we knew from experience that no Hyalophora euryalus males would be showing up until much later, not until about 4 am at that location.

At about 1 am, male Antheraea polyphemus moths began showing up. For one mad moment, my friend and I wondered if perhaps the bright moonlight reflecting off the white netting of the two pop-up cages was possibly attracting the male polyphemus moths.

But no. What was attracting them, clearly, were the female euryalus and female columbia columbia, pheromoning in the two cages. The male polyphemus moths flew frantically up and down and around and around the two cages, trying to get at the pheromoning females inside.

The male polyphemus were so numerous and so persistent (and such a nuisance too!) that my friend and I caught some and put them aside for later release. We were worried that we weren’t going to be able to open the doors to the cages for the male moths we were actually trying to attract - wild male Hyalophora euryalus.

Finally, at about 3:30 am, the stream of polyphemus suitors petered out, and we were left in peace.

Then, right on cue, a few minutes before 4 am, male Hyalophora euryalus moths began appearing at the two cages. We quickly opened the doors of the two, pop-up cages, and we soon had our two pairings. The euryalus males came in two waves: some at about 4 am, and another group at about 4:15. By 4:30 am, it was all over. All the male euryalus had disappeared; it was getting light. The male euryalus were present and active around the two cages for only half an hour, from 4 am to 4:30 am, a narrow window.

Anyway, this was my first time witnessing wild, male polyphemus moths being attracted to the pheromones of female moths of a different genus. It was an interesting phenomenon to witness.

[kevinkk]

Besides being interesting the different species attracting the other, the times you quote for flight are completely different than what I have
experienced here in Oregon, polyphemus flies early, maybe before midnight, and the euryalus always show up at 2 different times- the fertilized
females fly early around 11pm, then it will die off until around 1 or 2 am, when the males start flying. I've noticed this at least twice in 2 different
locations.

[mothman55]

Have never experienced that before, very unusual. Would have been interesting to see if the wild male Polyphemus would have paired with either of your females, I assume they would have if they were attracted by the pheromones, but any ova would have been sterile. Here in the east, H. columbia also fly just before dawn. I have put female cecropia out in cages many times and if I don't allow any male cecropia to access her, the male columbia will begin showing up between 5am and 6am. I think the male columbia flying at dawn while the cecropia fly much earlier is how the species prevents a lot of natural hybridization.

[Bugplutofarmlandwind]

you and your friend are true moth whisperers! It's fascinating how those male Antheraea polyphemus moths got all worked up, thinking they hit the jackpot with those pheromoning ladies inside. Talk about moth madness! But hey, persistence pays off, and those Hyalophora euryalus studs showed up right on time, like clockwork.

[wollastoni]

you and your friend are true moth whisperers! It's fascinating how those male Antheraea polyphemus moths got all worked up, thinking they hit the jackpot with those pheromoning ladies inside. Talk about moth madness! But hey, persistence pays off, and those Hyalophora euryalus studs showed up right on time, like clockwork.

Hello Bugplutofarmlandwind, please take the time to present yourself on the forum : Presentation. It is a small tradition here.