Automeris io

Photograph by Andrey Pavlov.

Photography contest, Honorable Mention.

Io moth
Automeris io – Io moth. Dr. Pavlov writes, "The photo of the moth is Automeris io, a moth whose range extends along the Eastern half of Canada and the US. I found the caterpillar and carried it home where it pupated. Approximately 6 months later the moth emerged and while I missed the actual eclosion [the emergence from the cocoon], I hung the moth on some twigs to let its wings unfurl and took a few photos, minutes after it eclosed. The wings were not yet inflated and it wasn't able to move much, which is why it made such a great model." You may find more photographs by Docta Drey here. Dr. Drey cautions that the website is a work in progress, and to inquire about a print you may contact him at the e-mail address given in the "about" page.