Giving eyespots a shiner: Pharmacologic manipulation of the Io moth wing pattern

Our knowledge of wing pattern formation in Lepidoptera has advanced significantly in recent years due to the careful examination of several groups of butterflies. The eyespot is a prominent feature of Lepidoptera wing pattern, especially in the family Saturniidae. The present study examined how sulfated polysaccharides, which are known to simulate cold shock effect in nymphalid butterflies, affected the wing pattern formation of the Io moth, Automeris io (Saturniidae).  Prepupae and pupae of this species were subjected to injections of heparin and cold shock. While the cold shock had little to no effect on wing pattern, the aberrations resulting from heparin injections consisted of moderate to profound increases in melanism around the eyespots. The resulting aberrations are dubbed 'Black Eye' and 'Comet Eye.' Most other known aberrations of Automeris io eyespots are summarized, illustrated and named.