PS. IIRC Moth eyespots usually appear to mimic cat eyes, so that when the moth is in foliage the bird will discern just the 'eyes' and think there's a cat prowling around.
Speaking as a naturalist, and with nothing whatever to back me up, I suspect it's just "eye-ness"...some fish have eyespots also, near the tail of course, presumably to help predators to aim wrong.
The eyespots in American moths and butterflies definitely antedate he doemstic cat.