Today's edition of 'What's that perching on my house?!' ... The Io Moth!
This morning's visitor almost had me stumped guys! It took me about 45 minutes of searching before I figured out the identity of my guest.
On the surface, he is a pretty, orange moth. Seems like he would be easy to identify, but nope! Type in 'orange moths in south Georgia', and you get loads of things that are NOT him.
A little beat up, but what a cutie, right?!
I searched and searched, and by some miracle, I stumbled across him! The reason he was so difficult to find is simple. The feature they are most noted for are the eye-catching patterns on their LOWER wings, which were hidden. Once I saw the photos online, I ran outside and ever-so-gently pulled his wings open and VOILA! There it was!!
I didn't want to hurt him, so that's all the further open I got his wings...
A little more distinctive, right?!
This is a male Io Moth, (automeris io). It's range is pretty much across the entire United States and even some parts of Canada. The caterpillars of these moths eat a large range of things, including, but not limited to:
- Pin cherry
- Sugarberry or southern hackberry
- Eastern redbud
- Sweetfern
- American sweetgum
- Wild indigo
- Ash
- Oak
- Beech
- Red maple
- And more....
Apparently the bright green caterpillars also have stinging spines, so you dont want to play with them!
The adult moths only live about 1-2 weeks, so this guy won't be around for long. I am glad he stopped by so I could take a few pictures of him. ♥
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed seeing this guy as much as I did!
Have a lovely weekend, all! ♥
This work by @SquishySquid is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Thanks!!
He or she looks so cute and fluffy :D You got a great photo of him or her, I am gonna just go and decide it is a she. Ok, you got a great photo of her! :)
Thanks! ♥
Haha, unfortunately my research indicates it is actually a male, but you go ahead and call it a 'she'. I dont think he cares... ;)
He looks so fluffy xD
I had to resist the urge to pet him! ♥
How beautiful! And we tend to think of moths as drab brown. Nice up-close shots!
Thanks!! ♥
Yep, moths can be every bit as pretty as butterflies!
That's one beautiful moth!! Those hidden patterns remind me of dream catchers haha
Thank you! :D
Yes, I was surprised to find that under there!
Thanks! It was surprising to find those 'eyes' under there!
Do you know why the pattern on his outer wings is faded a little bit? He looks really dusty almost.
He looked a little beat up. If you look up close, the bottom wings were also slightly damaged. Considering they only live for a week or two as an adult, its not surprising, I suppose.
As far as looking 'dusty', that's probably because their wings are covered with small scales. That's what makes the colors and patterns, and that is also why if you touch a butterfly or moth, you will end up with 'dust' on your fingers. It is the scales on their wings. You have to be careful, because if they lose too many scales, they wont be able to fly. That's why I was SUPER careful pulling his wings open a little so we could see the 'eyes'.
:D
wow .. nice moth photography.2 days ago i also have made post moth photography using macro lens, try you see in my post.thanks
Thanks!
Ill check it out. :)
It's a shame that such beauty only lives a couple of weeks. At the same time, it makes its beauty much more precious and captivating. And those lower-wings!! They see you.
Thanks! I agree, poor thing, I wish they hung around longer. Im sure it feels like a lifetime to him though, since it is!
Wow! He sure had a lot hidden under those wings. Very cool moth!
Yes he did!
Thanks! ♥
That is the prettiest moth I have ever seen. To be honest I didn’t think moths could be so pretty lol.
It literally looks like two eyes in the pattern. Thanks for sharing this with us!!!
Thanks!!
I love finding moths. I mean, they all have their own beauty, but some have more striking beauty than others... Like the maple moth I found a couple weeks ago. It looks painted!
Nature's little treasures... ♥
Oh my goodness!! It does look painted, it’s a beauty!! I never knew...thanks for sharing!!!