Cecropia Moth Hyalophora cecropia

Prepare to be amazed: this is North America's largest native moth, with females reaching a jaw-dropping five to seven inches across. These silk moths are so enormous that they're unforgettable once spotted. Before becoming giants, their caterpillars feast on maple, cherry, and birch trees, spinning elaborate silk cocoons for their spectacular transformation.

Found across eastern North America and as far west as the Pacific coast, these Saturniidae beauties have been known to science since Carl Linnaeus first described them back in 1758. Meet them at a porch light and you've encountered nature's heavyweights.