Io moth
Automeris io (Fabricius, 1775)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Hemileucinae
Identification: Upperside occasionally males from the spring brood will be mostly brown. Female forewings are brown or brownish purple to red and the bands and eyespots may or may not be apparent. Hindwings of both sexes are yellow to brownish orange with yellow or orange margins. Each hindwing has a large black and blue eyespot with a white dash in the middle.
Wing Span: 2 - 3 1/8 inches (5 - 8 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge during late morning or early afternoon, and mating takes place in the late evening. Females lay clumps of eggs on leaves or stems of the host plants. Young caterpillars feed together as a group and move in long "trains" while older caterpillars feed alone. Papery cocoons are spun in litter under the host plant or in crevices.
Flight: One brood in the north from May-June, two to three broods in the south from February-September, several broods throughout the year in the Florida Keys.
Caterpillar Hosts: A variety of plants including hackberry (Celtis), willow (Salix), mesquite (Prosopis), redbud (Cercis), currant (Ribes), blackberry (Rubus), and pear (Pyrus).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous forests, thorn scrub, and suburban areas.
Range: Maine west across southern Canada to southeastern Manitoba, the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Colorado; south to the Florida Keys, the Gulf states, Texas, and New Mexico; Mexico south to Costa Rico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 169 - 192 of 1458 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 08, 2021
Submitted by: Poc
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: Vogeye
Region: Summit County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jun 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 14, 2019
Submitted by: kcdemille
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2020
Submitted by: kcdemille
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 01, 2021
Submitted by: glitching_howls
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 02, 2021
Observation date: May 20, 2021
Submitted by: Calta61
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 23, 2021
Observation date: May 05, 2015
Submitted by: LukaCustoms
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: May 20, 2020
Submitted by: LukaCustoms
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: May 09, 2021
Submitted by: scottqueen896
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 09, 2021
Observation date: Nov 23, 2015
Submitted by: DVL
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 07, 2021
Observation date: May 04, 2018
Submitted by: Sigkapoli
Region: Sumter County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 18, 2021
Observation date: Sep 23, 2020
Submitted by: jnchandler
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 14, 2019
Submitted by: Mothmandave
Region: Cumberland County, Maine, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 22, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2020
Submitted by: bibliomyles
Region: Kennebec County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Feb 16, 2021
Observation date: Feb 03, 2021
Submitted by: Stan C
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 20, 2019
Submitted by: Ssneed
Region: Benzie County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Feb 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2019
Submitted by: Hollidarko182
Region: Cass County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Feb 03, 2021
Observation date: Jun 23, 2020
Submitted by: oceaneyes_2390
Region: Lenawee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Feb 02, 2021
Observation date: Jul 07, 2020
Submitted by: MarkNenadov
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 14, 2018
Submitted by: Rita W. Venable
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2019
Submitted by: chirpus
Region: Washington County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 07, 2021
Observation date: May 09, 2019
Submitted by: Clarentine
Region: Goochland County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 04, 2021
Observation date: Dec 30, 2020
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Dec 30, 2020
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 30, 2020
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