The picture is of an Imperial Moth, not an IO. Scroll down to see information.

Here is a link that might be useful: Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis)

That would explain why it doesn't look like my other IO moth! Thank you runmede!

Love your pics especially that third one! Looks like a stuffed animal!

Love your photos. Both moths are beautiful. And the face shot is fantastic.

Jeanne;
The imperials must be eclosing right now as we had someone bring one by the house. It looks like you have a female if we go by the antennae. You could try attracting a mate. What plant was the cat on? I think pine is one of it's favorites.
-Elisabeth

I love both imperial and io moths! They were common here before the hurricane, but I haven't seen one of either type since then.
Your pictures are beautiful!
Sherry

I'm glad you liked the pictures!

Elisabeth- I've never seen the caterpillars for the imperial moths, this one showed up late at the back light. Did the IO cats eclose yet at the house? I've not seen any this year but I did have a beautiful silkmoth - I think this is the spicebush silkmoth? I also get alot of spicebush swallowtails but I have yet to find the spicebushes!

{{gwi:494940}}

Jeanne;

I was about to correct you and tell you it was a Promethea but apparently "spicebush moth" is another name, LOL. I am always learning something new. We had a ton of those this year. It is their year. When the females were out in the house, we routinely had males beating themselves to get in. My neighbors asked about one on their screen porch. Again, you have a female there. The males are very dark. It has been suggested that they mimic the pipevine swallowtails. I thought being out at night, this would have been silly, but they are out during the day! The males seem to look for their mates late afternoon and fly quite like a butterfly.

The IOs have not eclosed yet. Should be soon I would think.

We need to trade. I have the spicebushes but not the butterfly! Really though, I need to plant some more to attract and support any. In the early fall, look for the red berries and you should find the plant. The leaves and berries when crushed smell spicy.

You seem to have a wonderful yard/area to support all those great critters.

Cheers,
Elisabeth

Excellent photos, Jeanne!

Bob

Adorable! Wonder why they don't make stuffed moth toys?? ;~)

I apologize for the oversized image of the silkmoth, I thought I had resized it before I uploaded.

I think the spicebush silkmoth must have used another host plant since this one had just recently eclosed (at least it appeared that way, she hung on the planter with her wings quivering for quite a while) and there aren't any spicebushes in the immediate area. I did try to plant some a few years ago but I got them on clearance and they didn't make it through the winter (some times it does not pay to be cheap!)

But that does bring me to another question .... how far do moths and butterflies travel? I also get pipevine swallowtails and I'm wondering where the Virginia Snakeroot is growing ..... I'm about a mile from the reserve so I am guessing it might be there???

Well, that is the million dollar question, isn't it? The one about the pipevine (not the stuffed moths, though I think you could make a million off that one!).

I believe that the pipevine swallowtail must use wild ginger (Asarum sp.). They are in the same family (Aristolochaceae). I have looked for Virginia Snakeroot in the area and have had no luck. With the numbers of pipevine swallowtails we see (and it's a lot this year), we should easily see it. What do I see? Wild ginger. I am going to try to find out from some more native plant people. The ones I have asked here are not familliar with the plant.

I am waiting to see a female lay on it though. I have tried to feed my cats some and they did not eat it. Of course I had pipevine leaves in the same container, and as someone else once said, why eat carrots when you can have steak (or something like that). I get pipevine swallowtails in my yard and I am pretty sure there is no A. virginiensis within miles of my house.

-Elisabeth

You know I think you mentioned before that you thought they might use wild ginger. I've been checking mine for the last few years but I've never found any cats either .. but there is alot of wild ginger around here so they could be anywhere. Too bad we can't attach a little gps transmitter on one so we can see where it goes!