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uncommon
Io Moth
Automeris io
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, fields, and suburbs across eastern North America
- Wingspan
- 75 mm
- Order
- Lepidoptera · Saturniidae
Weird but real
Its forewings hide two giant eyespots it flashes to fake a startled owl and scare off birds mid-attack.
Why it's cool
A drab yellow moth carrying a pair of bluffing owl-eyes on its back is the best jump-scare evolution ever built.
