This is a prominent member of the family Saturniidae, characterized by a marked sexual dimorphism and a substantial wingspan ranging from 80 to 110 millimeters in females, whereas males are notably smaller and more slender. The forewings of Automeris coresus display a highly cryptic coloration consisting of various shades of gray, brown, and ochre, which allows them to blend seamlessly with the bark of trees during their daytime rest. Conversely, the hindwings feature a spectacular defense mechanism in the form of a large, concentric eyespot (ocellus) colored in black, vibrant blue, and white at the center, rimmed by a yellow ring, designed to startle potential predators. The larval stage is represented by a robust, bright green caterpillar covered in highly branching urticating spines that deliver toxins capable of causing severe localized pain and dermatitis in humans upon contact.

Geographical distribution: This insect is strictly native to the southern cone of South America, with established populations across Argentina (particularly in northern and central provinces), Brazil (predominantly in southern and southeastern states), Paraguay, and Uruguay, adapting successfully to both humid subtropical and temperate regions.

Habitat: It occupies a diverse array of terrestrial ecosystems, including temperate forests, gallery woodlands, riverine thickets, and shrubby areas within the Chaco and Atlantic Forest biomes. Thanks to its high ecological tolerance and broad range of larval host plants, this species has also successfully colonized urban and suburban environments, being frequently encountered in city parks, residential gardens, and agricultural orchards.

Feeding: It exhibits a distinct nutritional dichotomy throughout its life cycle. As adults, these moths possess vestigial, non-functional mouthparts and are incapable of feeding, meaning their brief lifespan of just a few days depends entirely on energy reserves stored during their larval stage. In stark contrast, the caterpillars are voracious and highly polyphagous herbivores, consuming the foliage of numerous botanical families such as Rosaceae (including peaches and plums), Fabaceae (such as Erythrina crista-galli), and Solanaceae.

Behavior: It exhibits strictly nocturnal activity as an adult, with males showing a strong positive phototaxis, frequently drawn to artificial light sources. When confronted by a threat, the adult performs a deimatic display, abruptly lifting its forewings to reveal the dramatic eyespots on its hindwings, mimicking the gaze of a larger vertebrate predator to deter insectivorous birds. The larvae are notably gregarious in their early developmental stages, moving in tightly coordinated groups to feed, but transition to a solitary lifestyle as they reach their final instars.

Reproduction: The reproductive cycle begins when virgin females emit species-specific sex pheromones during the night to attract males, who locate them using their highly sensitive, feathery bipectinate antennae. Following successful copulation, the female deposits clusters of oval, pale eggs on the underside of host plant leaves. After hatching, the larvae feed continuously through several instars before spinning a dense, protective silk cocoon amidst the ground leaf litter, where the pupal stage takes place before the emergence of the new adult generation.

Conservation status: This species has not yet been formally evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is thus listed as Not Evaluated (NE) on the global Red List. It is generally considered a common and widespread species with stable populations, although localized declines may occur due to the heavy application of synthetic pesticides in agricultural zones and the destruction of native woodland habitats.