Invertebrates
Rosy Maple Moth
Dryocampa rubicunda · also called rosy maple moths
Resting on a maple leaf in an ordinary eastern woodland, a rosy maple moth displays a combination of bright pink and yellow so vivid it looks almost out of place, despite being one of the more common moths found across the region’s maple and oak forests.
Overview
The rosy maple moth, Dryocampa rubicunda, is a small, vividly coloured moth native to maple and oak woodland across a broad range of eastern North America. Its striking pink and yellow colouration, complete lack of feeding as an adult, and status as a common, widespread species despite its almost tropical appearance make it one of the most visually memorable small moths found in the eastern United States and Canada.
A tropical look in an ordinary backyard
Despite its vivid pink and yellow colouration looking like it belongs somewhere far more exotic, the rosy maple moth is simply a common resident of everyday maple and oak woodland across much of eastern North America.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and common across suitable maple and oak woodland throughout eastern North America.
Rosy Maple Moth: common questions
Why is the rosy maple moth so brightly coloured?
This species displays a striking combination of bright pink and pale yellow across its wings and body, a colour pairing distinctive enough that people sometimes assume it must be a tropical species, even though the specific evolutionary reason for this particular colour combination in a common eastern North American moth is not fully settled.
Does the rosy maple moth eat as an adult?
No, this species does not feed at all once it reaches adulthood, relying entirely on energy reserves built up during the caterpillar stage to survive long enough to find a mate and reproduce, a life strategy shared by several other large moth species in the same broader family.
What does a rosy maple moth caterpillar look like?
This species' caterpillar, commonly known as the green-striped mapleworm, has a green body marked with pale stripes running along its length, feeding mainly on maple and oak leaves and occasionally reaching high enough densities to cause noticeable, though usually minor, defoliation.
Where does the rosy maple moth live?
This species is native to maple and oak woodland across a broad range of eastern North America, staying closely associated with the specific host trees its caterpillar depends on for food throughout that range.