This damage is mostly harmless and the leaves will grow back. Thus, large populations of greenstriped mapleworms are capable of defoliating trees. The larvae eat the entire leaf blade and are capable of consuming a few leaves each. In early instars, the larvae feed together in groups, but beginning in the third or fourth instar the caterpillars begin to feed individually. Since the larvae remain on the same tree upon which they hatched, most larvae feed on the underside of maple leaves or oak leaves. The rosy maple moths preferentially lay their eggs on maple trees, and sometimes nearby oak trees. The adults do not eat, so they can have a sizeable home range. The larvae primarily eat the underside of leaves, therefore preferentially staying in that location of their home tree. Larvae hatch and live on the same tree through their development, then pupate in the soil beneath the same tree. They can also be found on oak trees, particularly turkey oaks ( Quercus laevis), especially when they are found dispersed among maple trees. Their common name derives from the fact that they can primarily be found on maple trees, including red maples ( Acer rubrum), sugar maples ( Acer saccharum), silver maples ( Acer saccharinum), and box elder maples ( Acer negundo). The rosy maple moth can be found in temperate deciduous forests and nearby suburban areas and urban landscapes. However, like all other Saturniid moths, the adult moths do not eat. Since the caterpillars eat the entire leaf blade, in dense populations, caterpillars have been known to defoliate trees, resulting in aesthetic rather than permanent damage. The emerging caterpillars, also known as the greenstriped mapleworm, mainly feed on the leaves of their host maple trees, particularly red maple, silver maple, and sugar maple. Adult females lay their yellow ovular eggs in groups of 10 to 40 on the underside of maple leaves. Īs the common name of the species implies, the preferred host trees are maple tree. Males have bushier antennae than females, which allow them to sense female pheromones for mating. The species is known for its wooly body and pink and yellow coloration, which varies from cream or white to bright pink or yellow. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793. Dryocampa rubicunda, the rosy maple moth, is a small North American moth in the family Saturniidae, also known as the great silk moths.

Rosy maple moth care