Unknown Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar from Chile

Subject:  Caterpillar
Geographic location of the bug:  Southern Chile
Date: 10/20/2021
Time: 07:30 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hola from Chile! Here is a lovely fellow we found in our Valdivian rainforest climbing a laurel tree. He is probably around 2 inches long. I’m thinking he is in the Io moth family but he has no racing stripes. Identifying insects in Chile is difficult as there is little information available on line. Many thanks for your help!
How you want your letter signed:  Chile Expat Family

Unknown Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar

Dear Chile Expat Family,
This is indeed a Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar and it does resemble the caterpillar of an Io Moth, and you are likely correct that it is in the same genus Automeris.  It does look remarkably similar to another Chilean caterpillar that Bill Oehlke identified as likely a member of the genus Ormiscodes.

Thanks!

I guess that entomology course I took 30+ years ago came in handy!

The post Unknown Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar from Chile appeared first on What's That Bug?.