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Io moth
Io moth
Automeris io
Moth
The Io moth is a giant silk moth (family Saturniidae) whose adults bear large dark hindwing eyespots used in a defensive startle display. Its larvae are highly polyphagous, feeding on the foliage of dozens of woody and herbaceous plants across many genera. Handle the caterpillars with care: the bright green larvae are covered in branched urticating spines that deliver a painful sting on contact. Adults do not feed and live only to mate, so the species' garden impact is entirely the leaf-feeding larval stage.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 12
Allegheny blackberry
Rubus allegheniensis
Plausible
UF/IFAS lists Rubus (blackberry) as a documented Io moth larval host; allegheny blackberry is Rubus allegheniensis (genus-level inference).
American red raspberry
Rubus idaeus
Plausible
Rubus (blackberry/raspberry) is a documented Io moth host per UF/IFAS; red raspberry is Rubus idaeus (genus-level inference).
Black willow
Salix nigra
Plausible
UF/IFAS and BAMONA list Salix (willow) as a documented Io moth larval host; black willow is Salix nigra (genus-level inference).
Common hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
Plausible
UF/IFAS and BAMONA list Celtis (hackberry) as a documented Io moth larval host; common hackberry is Celtis occidentalis (genus-level inference).
Eastern cottonwood
Populus deltoides
Plausible
Populus (cottonwood/poplar) is a documented Io moth host per UF/IFAS, with eastern cottonwood named; genus-level inference.
Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis
Plausible
UF/IFAS (EENY-608) lists Cercis (redbud) as a documented Automeris io larval host; this eastern redbud is a genus-level inference.
Pussy willow
Salix discolor
Plausible
Salix (willow) is a documented Io moth host per UF/IFAS; pussy willow is Salix discolor (genus-level inference).
Quaking aspen
Populus tremuloides
Plausible
UF/IFAS lists Populus (aspen/poplar/cottonwood) as a documented Io moth larval host, with quaking aspen named; genus-level inference.
Red maple
Acer rubrum
Plausible
UF/IFAS (EENY-608) lists Acer (maple) as a documented Io moth larval host; red maple is Acer rubrum (genus-level inference).
Sugar maple
Acer saccharum
Plausible
Acer (maple) is a documented Io moth host per UF/IFAS; sugar maple is Acer saccharum (genus-level inference).
Weeping willow
Salix babylonica
Plausible
Salix (willow) is a documented Io moth host per UF/IFAS; weeping willow is Salix babylonica (genus-level inference).
Western redbud
Cercis occidentalis
Plausible
UF/IFAS lists Cercis (redbud) as an Io moth host; western redbud (Cercis occidentalis) is a genus-level inference, not species-cited.
Range
Found across eastern and central North America, from southern Canada (Manitoba to Nova Scotia) south through the eastern and central United States to southern Florida and Texas, extending west to the Rocky Mountain states.
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