Rosy maple moth
Dryocampa rubicunda (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Ceratocampinae
Identification: Extremely variable in color. Upperside of wing is yellow to cream to white with pink at the margins and bases of the wings. The amount of pink can vary from covering most of the wing to being absent altogether. Form alba occurs in Missouri and is all white or white with some pink markings.
Wing Span: 1 5/16 - 2 1/16 inches (3.4 - 5.2 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge in the late afternoon and mate in the late evening. Females begin laying eggs at dusk the next day in groups of 10-30 on leaves of the host plant. Eggs hatch in about 2 weeks and feed gregariously when young. Older caterpillars feed alone. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate and overwinter in shallow underground chambers.
Flight: One brood in the north from May-August,two broods in the south from April-September, possibly three broods in the Deep South and Florida from March-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Maple trees including red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (A. saccharum), and silver maple (A. saccharinum); and oak trees including turkey oak (Quercus laevis).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous forests.
Range: Nova Scotia west through Quebec to Ontario and Minnesota; south to Dade County, Florida, the Gulf Coast, and east Texas.
Conservation: Caterpillars can become pests by defoliating trees during occasional population explosions.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 1571 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 14, 2024
Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: Seasway
Region: Waldo County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: Jun 03, 2024
Submitted by: Nononici14
Region: Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 04, 2024
Submitted by: dnight30
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 04, 2022
Submitted by: Leewida
Region: Montmorency County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 31, 2024
Observation date: May 17, 2024
Submitted by: Geneoz
Region: Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 18, 2024
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: Jcairl396
Region: Harlan County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 21, 2024
Observation date: Apr 17, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 17, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: dahlia
Region: Hardin County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: dahlia
Region: Meade County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 13, 2024
Observation date: Apr 01, 2023
Submitted by: speele
Region: Pickens County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 25, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: Reese2023
Region: Highlands County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: Betsy Higgins
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2018
Submitted by: Midnightangel75
Region: Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 11, 2023
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 25, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2023
Submitted by: Urdaman
Region: Benton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 25, 2023
Observation date: May 29, 2023
Submitted by: mackenziebishop...
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 03, 2023
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2023
Submitted by: bknupp
Region: Page County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 28, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: May 23, 2012
Submitted by: rocksnstars
Region: Oxford County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: Smibster24
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
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