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Q: What species is this moth?

It is a polyphemus (Antheraea polyphemus) moth.

With a wingspan of up to 15 centimeters — second in size only to the cecropia moth — polyphemus moths occur in forests and woodlands across Missouri. The ground color varies greatly — some specimens are bright reddish-brown while others have a yellowish hue. The hindwings feature a yellow, black, and bluish eyespot.

Adult moths emerge from their cocoons in late afternoon, and mating commences that evening. The “calling time” for polyphemus moths — when females emit pheromones to attract males — occurs from about 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Females soon lay small, pale, oval eggs, singly or in small groups, on the undersides of host-plant leaves. The eggs hatch in one or two weeks. The caterpillars — magnificently chubby, almost translucent, and fluorescent green when mature — feed upon a wide variety of shrubs and trees. Oaks, maples, and birch are especially favored. Many polyphemus caterpillars descend to the ground and pupate in the leaf litter. Some spin their cocoons in a leaf and fall to the ground in autumn. And a few noticeably cling to trees through the winter.

Cocoons are oval, wrapped in a leaf, and shrouded in a tough outer layer of silk. Adult moths are nocturnal and fly from mid-April through August.

Q: Does Missouri have greater roadrunners?

In Missouri, greater roadrunners are found in glades, open woodlands, and occasionally in parking lots or along roadsides. They were first reported in 1956 near Branson. By the 1970s, some had spread as far north as the Missouri River in Osage County, but several cold, snowy winters drove them back. They rebounded by the 1990s and have been seen as far north as Jefferson City. They are permanent residents in southwest Missouri. 

Considered omnivores with a taste for fruit and seeds, these birds are remarkable predators, running down and snatching up insects, small reptiles and mammals, spiders, scorpions, and even small birds.

Greater roadrunners are a species of conservation concern in Missouri, and MDC tracks confirmed breeding occurrences. Record roadrunner sightings, including signs of nesting or young with a parent, at ebird.org. 

Q: Why doesn’t Missouri experience wildfires like western states, such as California and New Mexico?

There are two main differences: humidity levels and vegetation composition. 

Out west, the air is drier. Humidity levels are often 12–15 percent and can even remain in single digits for long periods. In comparison, Missouri experiences humidity levels of 70–80 percent. 

Also, Missouri’s hardwood forests are composed primarily of oak and hickory trees. These deciduous trees have dense canopies of glossy, green leaves that are slow to catch fire. These trees lose their leaves annually, which means that when the leaves are burning, they’re on the ground and not capable of producing the fire behavior seen in the western states.

In comparison, western states have coniferous pine forests. Pine resin is flammable. Furthermore, many pine forests have been harmed by western pine beetles that thrive in stressed trees, leaving them vulnerable to drought and subsequent fire. Pine needles need not drop to the ground, meaning the trees are more capable of extreme canopy fires.

Finally, most western fires are started by dry lighting, meaning strikes that occur without rain or moisture. Western topography and climate also produce winds that can whip fires into larger conflagrations. In Missouri, lightning is almost always accompanied by rainfall.

Missouri does experience forest fires. Each year, MDC works with fire departments to help put out wildfires that can consume tens of thousands of acres. However, Missouri forest fires tend to be ground-burning — relying on dry leaf litter as the combustible material. 

Every 30 to 40 years, Missouri does experience a canopy fire. But it’s not common.