Io Moth Caterpillar

Io Moth Cat BCJ

No hike today, but still I was able to play with some critters! I found this guy on one of my many Redbuds. This is the caterpillar of an Io Moth (Automeris io). See those spines? They contain a poison that makes their sting as painful as running into Stinging Nettle, but it last longer. Not recommended! ISO 400, f/4, 1/160, 50mm, Canon EOS 60D.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “Io Moth Caterpillar”

  1. I’d like to think that it’s the infant IO Moth named after the IO moon … with all of its yellow-magma erupting volcanoes.

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