A beautiful visitor

[Trellum]

A picture I took a few months ago. I found this beautiful moth in my garden (near to my pots). It's a Io moth, a female I've been reading about them a lot since I found it. I found it like this:

I tried to touch it, but then it started shaking, lol. To my surprise it didn't fly away and actually jumped into my hand!

It flew away in the end when my mom tried to touch it roughly Right into the neighbor's garden... I hope their kid didn't find it!

 

[zigs]

Cool

 

[claudine]

Wow, what a beautiful creature, I've never seen anything like it! Usually, I'm scared of moths, but this one doesn't scare me at all. Maybe I wouldn't dare to touch it, but I definitely would like to see it in person. It looks like a butterfy. Or like a flower

 

[Becky]

That's stunning! I'm glad you managed to get some pictures, usually things that I want to photo disappear before I can grab my camera!

 

[MindyT]

I think the wings are cool. They look like another animal's eyes or face. Good way to keep birds away from it!

 

[Trellum]

Wow, what a beautiful creature, I've never seen anything like it! Usually, I'm scared of moths, but this one doesn't scare me at all. Maybe I wouldn't dare to touch it, but I definitely would like to see it in person. It looks like a butterfy. Or like a flower

Oh believe me... this moth was even more beautiful in real! The pictures I took do her no justice; she had VERY red legs and body! But sadly I think she was dying. They can't live for too long, they reproduce and once they do so they just die... this one was sick and dying, I'm sure... if she wasn't she'd not be outside during the day

 

[Trellum]

That's stunning! I'm glad you managed to get some pictures, usually things that I want to photo disappear before I can grab my camera!

Thanks This was another set of lucky shots. This moth was extremely friendly, I'm not sure if this is the way all Io moths are, or if it was connected to the fact she was old and dying! I certainly appreciate she allowed me to take pictures of her (it was a female, you can tell because the male is yellow) and perpetuate her beauty

 

[Trellum]

I think the wings are cool. They look like another animal's eyes or face. Good way to keep birds away from it!

Thanks You should see the male!! The males look amazing!! but sadly I've never been able to see a male Io moth in person, just pictures. So my encounter with his female counterpart was just priceless! It's actually rare for them to be found out in the open during the day, I believe this moth in particular was behaving in an odd way, mostly because it was old and dying (they don't live too long).

 

[claudine]

Oh believe me... this moth was even more beautiful in real! The pictures I took do her no justice; she had VERY red legs and body! But sadly I think she was dying. They can't live for too long, they reproduce and once they do so they just die... this one was sick and dying, I'm sure... if she wasn't she'd not be outside during the day

Oh no I hope that she was just really tired. Or very eccentric and this is why she decided to wake up in the middle of the day. I don't know if it's true, but I heard that some butterflies can live a relatively long life, maybe it's the same with moths.

 

[Annetteb]

That is beautiful. I haven't seen moths like that here, but I have seen an increase in butterflies. I was glad to see them because they had been scarce lately and now it seems that their numbers are beginning to grow. I love butterflies and I love seeing them in the spring and summer months and I hope their numbers don't decrease again.

 

[lemonzest]

Oh wow, I've never seen a moth that colorful outside of a museum/conservatory, and certainly never in the daytime.

I googled it and the caterpillars are pretty cool looking too!

 

[Trellum]

Yeah, the caterpillars are really interesting looking as well, but watch out, because they're extremely poisonous... the green spikes all over their bodies are very sharp. If you touch that, you can end up at the hospital

 

[Trellum]

That is beautiful. I haven't seen moths like that here, but I have seen an increase in butterflies. I was glad to see them because they had been scarce lately and now it seems that their numbers are beginning to grow. I love butterflies and I love seeing them in the spring and summer months and I hope their numbers don't decrease again.

Thanks Over here the number of butterflies is decreasing, sadly! I haven't seen that many, and it's still hot over here! But I saw an alarming increase in the number of grasshoppers! They were everywhere this year, even in the streets! That tells me something is very wrong!

 

[Trellum]

Oh no I hope that she was just really tired. Or very eccentric and this is why she decided to wake up in the middle of the day. I don't know if it's true, but I heard that some butterflies can live a relatively long life, maybe it's the same with moths.

I'd really like to think that, but ''Io Moths'' have really short lives. They mate,attach their eggs to a plant and look for a place to die in peace She probably thought she'd not be bothered in my yard, but she ignored my dog was there. So I had to pick her up She was a female, by the way. I can tell because of her red colour and antenae. I'll post some pictures of her male counterpart over here, just stunning!!!! I'd not like to have their caterpillars around my plant pots tho!

 

[Trellum]

Here are some pictures of a MALE io moth, just in case you guys wondered how I knew the Io moth I took a picture of was a female Here is what I found:

He displays his colours when he feels threatened:

Relaxed mode:

This is what their eggs look like:

Check the antenae (males only):