Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male with wings open showing eyespots on Blackthorn, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male (bottom) and female with wings open showing eyespots on lichen covered twig, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male below female both displaying eyespots on Gorse, Captive, UK, April

Ingo Arndt / Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) butterfly wing with false eyespots, Costa Rica

Norbert Wu / Io Moth (Automeris io) a member of the Giant Silkworm Moth family, eyespots may serve to scare away predators, Florida

Alex Hyde / Elephant Hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor) caterpillar showing eye spots mimicing a snake, photographed on a white background. Peak District National Park, UK. September.

Alex Hyde / Japanese Owl Moths (Brahmaea japonica) close up of overlapping wings of mating pair, captive

Alex Hyde / Common Vapourer Moth (Orgyia antiqua) male showing feather-like antennae that it uses to find the flightless female, Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. July.

Alex Hyde / Eyed hawkmoth (Smerinthus ocellatus) showing eye spots on wings during deimatic display to deter predators, Surrey, UK. Sequence 2 of 2.

Alex Hyde / Eyed hawkmoth (Smerinthus ocellatus) at rest camouflaged on bark, Surrey, UK. Sequence 1 of 2.

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male with wings closed on Blackthorn, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male with wings open showing eyespots on lichen covered twig, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) female with wings open showing eyespots on Gorse, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male with wings open showing eyespots on Blackthorn, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) female showing eyespots, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male below; female with wings open showing eyespots on lichen covered twig, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male below female, on lichen covered twig, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) female with wings open showing eyespots on lichen covered twig, Captive, UK, April

Pete Oxford / Saturniid Moth (Saturniidae) false eyespots on wings, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Moth (Automeris sp) in defensive posture showing eyespots, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Saturniid Moth (Saturniidae) flashing eyespots in defense, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Moth (Automeris sp) flashing eyespots in defense, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Steve Gettle / Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) butterfly wing with false eyespots, Ecuador

Steve Gettle / Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) butterfly wing with false eyespots, Ecuador

Piotr Naskrecki / Lantern Bug (Fulgora sp) spreading wings showing false eyespots, La Selva Biological Research Station, Heredia, Costa Rica

Georgette Douwma / Twinspot / Crab Eyed Goby (Signigobius biocellatus) pair feeding on sandy bottom. Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) showing eyespots - visible when wings spread - used for threat and courtship displays. The Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso State, Center-West of Brazil.

Thomas Marent / Leaf Insect (Phyllium sp) displaying tail showing false eyespots, Crater Mountain, Papua New Guinea

Thomas Marent / Leaf Insect (Phyllium sp) displaying tail showing false eyespots, Crater Mountain, Papua New Guinea

Chien Lee / Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) caterpillar showing false eyespots, Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia

Thomas Marent / Swallowtail (Papilionidae) caterpillar showing false eyespots, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Robert Thompson / Bull's eye / Io moth (Automeris io) female displaying eyespots against fallen leaves of tropical forest, South America, June

Murray Cooper / Owl Butterfly (Caligo sp) showing false eyespots, Ecuador

Fred Bavendam / Two-eyed Coralfish (Coradion melanopus) nocturnal coloration showing false eyespots, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia

Kevin Schafer / Moth (Automeris sp) showing false eyespots on wings, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io), displaying false eyespots, Europe

Ingo Arndt / Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io), showing false eyespots, Europe

Ingo Arndt / Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io) on flower, displaying false eyespots, Europe

Ingo Arndt / Giant Peacock Moth (Saturnia pyri) with false eyespots, Europe

Albert Lleal / Morpho Butterfly (Morpho sp) butterfly wing with false eyespots, native to South America

PREMAPHOTOS / Noctuid moth caterpillar (Noctuidae). When alarmed it hides its red head under its body and rears its tough rear end, which has two eyespots like a false head, in rainforest, Sumatra

PREMAPHOTOS / Caterpillar larva of Elephant hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor) with eyespots mimicking a small snake, in full defensive display, UK.

PREMAPHOTOS / Saturniid moth(Automeris bilinea) front wings open exposing eyespots on hind wings defensively in rainforest, Peru

Piotr Naskrecki / Peacock Katydid (Pterochroza ocellata) in startle display showing false eyespots on wings, Guyana

Piotr Naskrecki / Peacock Katydid (Pterochroza ocellata) in defensive display showing false eyespots on wings, Guyana

Piotr Naskrecki / Peacock Katydid (Pterochroza ocellata) in startle display showing false eyespots on wings, Guyana

Nature Production / Moon moth {Automeris sp} display showing eyespots on its underwings, Costa Rica

Nature Production / Eyespots on mantle of Noble Scallop {Mimachlamys nobilis} captive, Japan

Norbert Wu / Io Moth (Automeris io) a member of the Giant Silkworm Moth family, eyespots may serve to scare away predators, Florida

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Asian Swallowtail (Papilio xuthus) butterfly caterpillar showing false eyespots, Shiga, Japan

Pete Oxford / Peacock pansy butterfly (Junonia almana) on leaf at sunset. Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Katydid (Ommatoptera sp) in threat display showing false eyespots in rainforest, Costa Rica

Thomas Marent / Leaf Insect (Phyllium sp) displaying tail showing false eyespots, Crater Mountain, Papua New Guinea