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Giant Silk MothsAny idea what this pretty one is? I found few other pics of it on the internet & none of the images I found ever said what he was. He’s the 2nd really interesting moth I’ve had this week; never saw either one before. The other I was able to identify as the Rosy Maple Moth. But I can’t find this little guy anywhere. Know what he is or where I can turn to?
Beth


Hi Beth,
Your male Io Moth is a perfect example of startle mimicry. When the wings are closed, it looks benign and tasty, but when a bird pecks, suddenly the eyed underwings are revealed, startling the bird into fleeing what must resemble a large angry predator. This species also exhibits marked sexual dimorphism. The male has yellow upper wings, while the females wings are brown.
Related Posts
- Female Io Moth (January 15, 2007)
- Male Io Moth (June 20, 2008)
- Male Square Headed Wasp: Crabro latipes (July 16, 2007)
- Valley Carpenter Bee Male (December 8, 2006)
- Female Io Moth (September 6, 2009)





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