The lovely silkmoth, one of the most majestic of insects, also has one of the most poignant and romantic life stories: born without a mouth, a stomach, or any defensive mechanism beyond camouflage, each moth lives just a few days, long enough only to mate, and then it dies. Because the moths are nocturnal, and some species are endangered, many people will glimpse these beautiful creatures only through the paintings of John Cody who has spent a lifetime studying and painting the Great Saturniids. Seventy-two of Cody's paintings are included here, accompanied by his commentary on the moths' life cycles, habitats, and geographical range. A foreword by Richard S. Peigler, curator of entomology and saturniid specialist at the Denver Museum of Natural History, provides scientific background on the Saturniidae.