IO MOTH
Automeris io
(Saturniidae)
This green caterpillar grows to 2-3 inches in length. It has poison-filled, bunched spines, which can sting similar to nettle, but the pain lasts much longer. It can be identified by a red and white stripe running along the sides of its abdomen. The adult moth, not yet photographed, has a prominent black and blue eye on each hindwing.
The abundance of this species in our two nature centers is not yet known. The caterpillars feed on a great variety of trees and other plants, many of which are present in good numbers in our nature centers.
The caterpillar is also called Cotton Cutworm. The foodplants include a large variety of herbaceous plants including alfalfa, asparagus, bean, clover, grape, pokeweed and tomato. The species spends the winter in southern states as a pupa in soil. The adult moths migrate north in the spring on storm fronts and make their way as far north as Canada.
Disclaimer: The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Roland Barth.