Giant Silk Moth

While doing some gardening early on a very dreary and drizzly Mother's Day afternoon, I unknowingly flushed out this beautiful silk moth.

When I stopped for a moment, there it was perched on the sidewalk.

It was in no hurry to fly off and was kind enough to sit through a short photo session.

Excerpt from Wikipedia: Antheraea polyphemus
_{Antheraea polyphemus (polyphemus moth) is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths. It is a tan-colored moth, with an average wingspan of 15 cm (6 in). The most notable feature of the moth is its large, purplish eyespots on its two hind wings. The eye spots give it its name – from the Greek myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. The species is widespread in continental North America, with local populations found throughout subarctic Canada and the United States. The caterpillar can eat 86,000 times its weight at emergence in a little less than two months.}

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All images @cognoscere and taken on Sunday May 13th, 2018 in Central New Jersey (Sony DSC RX100M5)