Spider – April 2019

Eyespots can also send an entirely

different message, acting as a way

for an animal to say “Boo!” to its

enemies and frighten them away.

Called defensive eyespots, these are

frequently found in pairs, on the

wings of butterflies and moths. The

well-named peacock butterfly has

two sets of eyespots: a pair on its

forewings and another on its hind

wings. At rest, the butterfly folds

its wings above its body, displaying

a dark underside and wavy, erratic

edges. This helps the butterfly look

less like a tasty morsel to hungry birds

and more like a boring little leaf.

Pretty? Or pretty scary? Many butterflies and moths use fancy eyespots to spook predators.

Io moth

Owl butterfly

Buckeye butterfly

Polyphemus moth

Just wait ‘til you

see my Halloween

costume.

If we don't balance the

weight,the plane's flight

will be rratic—ragged

and uneven.

And I will surely hurl. Got it. Sitting over here.

No problemo.