Gargantuan Moth

 
 
This is the largest moth I've ever seen, except I forgot to measure it. I took it inside to take pictures (it was dead), and then after it sat on my kitchen counter for a week, I decided I better throw it back outside. Its wingspan must have been at least 4 inches long. After some googling, my guess would be that this is a polyphemus moth. It brings back memories of my first (and last) summer job, which involved collecting "frass" (look that one up) of gypsy moth larvae, collecting squirming pupae, and measuring the wing spans of the moths. I don't know what was worse, feeling the pupae squirm, or clearing the frass catchers after the rain, which was achieved by blowing on the mesh covered tubes with our mouths. Nevertheless, I still somehow have a fondness for moths I guess, which was an acquired fondness, I must say.