Io Moth
Automeris io

Family: Saturniidae,  Subfamily:  Hemileucinae
Tribe:  Hemileucini,  Hodges # 7746
Specimen

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IMMATURES 


Male
male


Female
female


Male
male
Female
female





PHOTO DETAILS - ŠNicky Davis
LOCATION:  Unknown
ELEVATION: Unknown

SPECIMEN PHOTOS

LIFE HISTORY:
Ova: Ova received 28 May 2013, and larvae emerged 6 June 2013.  


Larvae:
They were given willow and poplar but  did not eat either of these plants. They were then given Choke Cherry - Prunus virginiana and they did begin to eat those leaves. I was given five of the larvae 12 June 2013 and I continued feeding them Choke Cherry. They are orange/brown with spikes that are dark at the tips.  They feed gregariously or as a group at this stage and prefer to rest and feed underneath the leaves.

Second Instars - Molted to second instars. on 16 June 2013.
Second Instars - eight days as second instars

Third Instars - They walked off leaf and moved to a new one to molt.  They  molted to third instars 24 June 2013
Third Instars - On 27 June 2013, the largest larva has stripes and is 15 mm long.
Third Instars - Seven days as third instars.

Fourth Instars - On 29 June they all walked off the leaf they were eating and went to a new leaf to molt.  On 1 July 2013 they molted to fourth instar. 
Fourth Instars - 5 July, 2013 - Moved to a new leaf and silked the end of the new leaf up to the other side. 

Fifth Instars - 7 July 2013 - Molted to 5th instars on 7 July 2013.  They are 27-28 mm long on the 7th. The largest went to the back of the leaf alone. They appear to be splitting up the group now that  they are fifth instars.

Fifth Instars - 9 July 2013 - Photos  of #1 and #2 - 40 mm long.

Sixth Instars-  15 July 2013 - Photos of #2 - 55 mm long.

Cocoon - #1 spun cocoon on 25 July 2013, 49 days after emerging from ovum.
On 5 August 2013 one pupa was cut from its cocoon to photograph then replaced in pupa and wrapped in a  paper towel to hibernate.

Pupa:  Overwinter as pupa in a cocoon
Adult:  unknown
Broods: one
Larvae: 49-51 days
Hibernation: Pupae hibernate

Host Plant
Choke Cherry - Prunus virginiana  var. melanocarpa
 
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