Moth ID help...5"+ wingspan

[edesign]

I was at my girlfriend's parents' house a few weeks ago while her brother was in from California and we were sitting under the car port talking and this HUGE moth flew in and got "stuck". It sounded like a small bird flying around it was so big, i thought it was a bat at first (no joke). It fluttered around a ton (even landed on me at one point) and my gf was able to snap a few pictures. She and I are curious if anyone can ID it for us...she loves butterflies but this is a very pretty moth as well.

click thumbnails










thanks!

 

[whoami?]

Looks like a Polyphemus moth to me. Cool moth, though I rarely ever see them. On two occasions I've managed to find the larvae and successfully rear them on oak.

Here's more information on them...http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/usa/955.htm

 

[Scorpendra]

i rarely see any moth with a wingspand over 1-2", you're so lucky...

 

[edesign]

thank you both for the links and the help...the largest moths I see on any regularity here are around 2" so I was very excited to see this one. Could hear the wings flapping while it flew around just like when a bird flies close to you.

 

[dtknow]

Definetly a Polyphemus...thanks for sharing! I hope to see one of these giants in life someday.

 

[ArachnoCrazy]

Those moths are realy common by me. My problem is finding anything else.