Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFSaturniidae Members:
Automeris Members:
337 NC Records

Automeris io (Fabricius, 1775) - Io Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Bombycoidea Family: SaturniidaeSubfamily: HemileucinaeTribe: HemileuciniP3 Number: 890055.00 MONA Number: 7746.00
Comments: One of seven species in this genus found north of Mexico but the only one found east of the Appalachians (Tuskes et al., 1996). Ferguson (1971) recognized two subspecies along the Atlantic Slope: Automeris io io from Maine to South Carolina and A. io lilith from South Carolina to Florida and west to Louisiana. Tuskes et al. (1996), however, did not find any consistent geographic differences between these forms and did not recognize lilith as a distinct subspecies.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923), Ferguson (1971), Tuskes et al. (1996)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1923), Ferguson (1971), Covell (1984), Tuskes et al. (1996), Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Adults are unmistakeable: medium-large moths with yellow (males) or reddish-brown (females) forewings and large black, pale-centered eyespots on the hindwings.
Wingspan: 60 mm, males; 80 mm, females (Forbes, 1923)
Adult ID Requirements: Unmistakable and widely known.
Immatures and Development: The larvae, with their branched stinging spines, are only likely to be confused with those of the Buck Moth. Late instars are mostly green and possess a white-and-red stripe along the sides; in the Buck Moth, larvae are mostly dark brown, densely flecked with white dots, with some possessing a broad white stripe along the sides but no red striping (Wagner, 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably statewide except possibly the Outer Banks and other barrier islands.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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