![]() The longitudinal line coloration can also range from frosty blue to blue green, or black. Their bodies are yellow-green with seven dark green lines running lengthwise. ![]() Fully-grown caterpillars have beige to bright red heads. Early stage larvae have black heads and bodies that are yellowish-cream with faint longitudinal green stripes. Rosy maple moth caterpillars, also known as green-striped mapleworms, have different coloration depending on their stage of development. The last instar ranges from 38 mm to 55 mm in length. Male forewing length ranges from 17 to 29 mm. Both male and female rosy maple moths have an average wingspan of 32 to 55 mm. Males have bipectinate antennae, while females have simple antennae. Ornamentation differences are also present. Males have slightly narrower wings compared to females, and also have less rounded hindwings. Sexual dimorphism is present in wing shape and span of rosy maple moths. Unique to Missouri, subspecies alba is either all white or white with very faint pink maculation. Polymorphism does occur within different geographic regions. The amount of pink maculation on the wings ranges from dominant to nearly absent. Upper wing color is also very variable ranging from yellow to cream, to white with pink at the margins and bases of the wing. Their ventral side, legs, and antennae are usually rose pink. The woolly body of rosy maple moths varies in color from bright yellow, to cream, to white. Coloration in adults can range from unmarked white to bright yellow with dark pink maculation. ( "The Green Striped Maple Worm", 1971 Cotinis, 2004 Hyche, 2000 Opler, et al., 2012 VanDyke, 2006)Īdult rosy maple moths are extremely variable in color. Depending on where their host trees are, rosy maple moths have also been found in suburban areas. They are most often associated with red maples ( Acer rubrum), sugar maples ( Acer saccharum), silver maples ( Acer saccharinum), turkey oaks ( Quercus laevis) and box elder maples ( Acer negundo). Rosy maple moths inhabit temperate deciduous forests of eastern North America. Their range extends west to Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska. They range down the East Coast of the United States through most of Florida. The northern extent of their range is in southern Canada, and they have been recorded in southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. And sign up for our FREE newsletter here for daily health, nutrition, and fitness advice.Rosy maple moths are native to North America. Go here to subscribe to Prevention and get 12 FREE gifts. Support from readers like you helps us do our best work. So if you happen to see one hanging out in your yard, know it can’t do any harm. The University of Michigan reports that the moths are mainly nocturnal and solitary, except when they mate, during which adults emerge in the late morning and early afternoon, which could explain why Lavoie saw two when she did.įun fact: Adult rosy maples don’t eat! Therefore they aren’t a threat to their ecosystem as predators, and they won’t chomp away at your landscaping. In fact, a subspecies called Alba exists only in Missouri, and they’re either all white or white with pink spots. Their bodies range from bright yellow to cream or white, and although their wings are typically pink, some are rosier than others. Are all rosy maple moths so colorful?Īs you might guess, the rosy maple is known for their wooly body and vibrant hue, but according to the University of Virginia’s Mountain Lake Biological Station, their color actually varies. ![]() ![]() ( Lavoie’s Twitter profile says she’s from New Hampshire, so her sighting checks out.) The population extends slightly west into Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska. Although they’ve been recorded as far north as Ontario, Canada, they primarily hang out along the East Coast, as far south as Florida. “Then I saw an identical one a few feet away and wondered if they were lovers.” What is a rosy maple moth, exactly?Īccording to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology, rosy maple moths, scientifically known as Dryocampa rubicunda, are part of the Saturniidae family, or the great silk moths. “I had one come visit me too, I named him Pink Lemonade,” one person shared. Several other Twitter users even shared their own sightings. The magical, colorful insect is in fact real. “It’s real! And now he has a friend!” she updated. Later, a second moth joined Lavoie’s deck.
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