Io moth

noun

a showy, yellow moth, Automeris io, of North America, having a prominent pink and bluish eyespot on each hind wing.

Origin of Io moth

First recorded in 1865–70; named after Io

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British Dictionary definitions for io moth

Io moth

noun

an American saturniid moth, Automeris io, bright yellow with a blue-and-pink eyelike spot on each of the hind wings

Word Origin for Io moth

C19: after Io 1 (who was tormented by a gadfly), referring to the sting of the larva

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012