Freaking HUGE Moth!

A rare visitor came to my house today. An Yellow Female Io Moth. It's hanging out on my screen door. I took photos from top and bottom. It has a really large body. Just about as big as my thumb. This one is a female as the males antennas are "feathered". When it's in the caterpillar stage, it can give a nasty sting. When it turns into a moth, it can't hurt you.I still don't think i can bring myself to hold it though. This one measures about 5 inches across. The body is about 1 inch long. The eye spots on each wing are their defense mechanism to ward off predators.

For more pictures, check out my post on Bubblews
 http://www.bubblews.com/news/303691-yellow-female-io-moth