The Io moth, also known as the peacock moth, lives across a broad swath of North America, from southern Quebec and Ontario all the way to Utah. In Colorado they are found mainly along the Front Range and near Pueblo. They are in the family Saturniidae, who are some of the largest moths in the world, and many have “eyes” on their wings as the Io moth does. The name comes from Greek mythology – Io was one of Zeus’s lovers who he turned into a cow so his wife Hera wouldn’t find out about his philandering – but I could not find anything to tell me why this is their name aside from maybe a reference to their beauty.
143: Io Moth
143: Io Moth
143: Io Moth
The Io moth, also known as the peacock moth, lives across a broad swath of North America, from southern Quebec and Ontario all the way to Utah. In Colorado they are found mainly along the Front Range and near Pueblo. They are in the family Saturniidae, who are some of the largest moths in the world, and many have “eyes” on their wings as the Io moth does. The name comes from Greek mythology – Io was one of Zeus’s lovers who he turned into a cow so his wife Hera wouldn’t find out about his philandering – but I could not find anything to tell me why this is their name aside from maybe a reference to their beauty.