Antheraea polyphemus (form olivaea)
Adult and Larva

Antheraea polyphemus form olivacea are sometimes regarded as a sub species of Antheraea polyphemus.

In 1972 Ferguson reduced most of the described North American forms of Antheraea to synonymy with nominate polyphemus. The yellowish taxon described by Cockerell ( in Packard, 1914 ) from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Utah was recognized as subspecies olivacea.

All the known populations from Colorado and Utah exhibit both nominate polyphemus and olivacea morphs. (D. Bowman, S. Stone, pers. comm.)

Todd Huffman writes: "I have studied numerous polyphemus from the east, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, etc., and have found them to be very much alike. I have studied numerous Antheraea oculea and find them very vast in differences. "My olivacea never have any pink bands, but display blue markings around the top eyes. They are very yellow to deep orange and never display the dark tones of oculea. "I would be more than happy to send you some specimens for your inspection. "A close friend of my dad's, Steve Stone out of Denver is in complete certainty of this sub-species."

Olivacea larva courtesy of Todd Huffman.

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