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Animal profile

Io Moth

Automeris io

InsectaDeciduous woodland, scrub, farmland edges and suburban plantings

Field profile

A saturniid moth with a large black-and-blue eyespot on each hindwing, hidden at rest beneath the forewings. Males are yellow, females reddish-brown. The green caterpillars bear branched spines that deliver a painful sting.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-09-26

Io Moth

The io caterpillar's spines are venomous

Io moth caterpillars are covered in branched green spines that break on contact and deliver venom into the skin. The result is immediate burning pain and welts, one of the few genuinely stinging caterpillars in North America.

Read with evidence →

Io Moth | Daily Animal Facts