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Madeline Phillips, Diaz Gonzales, Andie, Carlton, Christopher E.
Dryocampa rubicunda, or the rosy maple moth, is a medium size pink and yellow moth native to the eastern United States. Larvae go by the common name of green-striped mapleworms. Adult wing coloration is typically bright pink at the base and along the outer edge, with a bright yellow band in the middle. Occasional specimens are almost completely pale pink or white. The body is yellow and fluffy, and the legs and antennae are pink. Size varies from 35 mm to 50 mm in body length, with males usually smaller than females. When fully extended, the wingspan varies from 32 mm to 58 mm. Sexual dimorphism (visible differences between the sexes) is present in this species and is most noticeable due to ornamentation. Females possess relatively slender antennae. The antennae of males are broader and feathery, especially near the base.
Rosy maple moth caterpillars, or green-striped mapleworms, change color based on their developmental stage. Young larvae are pale green with black heads. More mature larvae possess red heads and bright greenish-yellow bodies with black lines running the length of the body. Each segment possesses three pairs of stubby spines that are larger on the two rear segments. The second segment behind the head (second thoracic segment) bears a pair of long, black, antennae-like processes. Eggs are yellow, about 1.5 mm in diameter and are deposited in clusters of as many as 50 eggs.
Female rosy maple moth (Sturgis McKeever, Bugwood.org).
Rosy maple moths go through complete metamorphosis, as other members of the order Lepidoptera, including egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa and adult. Females lay eggs on the undersides of leaves during late spring and summer about 24 hours after mating. Larvae hatch after two weeks or longer, depending on temperature, and undergo five growth stages (instars) before pupating. During the first three instars, the caterpillars feed communally and become solitary when they reach the fourth instar. During the final instar, the larvae go through 10-14 days of wandering behavior (the “prepupal stage”) in search of a pupation site in soft soil near the host tree. Adults emerge after four to seven days during warm weather. The pupa is also the overwintering stage for the fall generation. Adult moths can mate immediately after emerging from the pupal stage and do not feed. Females lay eggs and die after laying their full complement of eggs, typically with a couple of weeks. Males die shortly after mating.
The full life cycle of a rosy maple moth requires two months during warm weather to nine months for the overwintering generation. In Louisiana, two or three generations may be completed annually. Although maple leaves are the preferred food of larvae, various other deciduous trees have been reported as hosts.
Rosy maple moth early instar larva (green-striped mapleworm) (Sturgis McKeever, Bugwood.org).
Rosy maple moth is a wide-ranging species occurring throughout eastern North America, from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast, west to Texas. They can be found wherever appropriate host trees are found. When present in large numbers, the caterpillars can cause significant defoliation to maple trees and occasionally other tree species. Such defoliation events are usually the result of feeding by numerous species of moth caterpillars, not just a single species. Trees recover unless stressed by other biological or environmental factors (i.e., drought) and chemical control of the species is not recommended.
Both larvae and adults are valuable food sources for birds and other insect feeding animals. The spring generation of caterpillars is particularly valuable for nesting birds and neotropical migrants. Various ichneumonid wasps (Ichneumonidae) and tachinid flies (Tachinidae) utilize the larvae as hosts. Predators and parasitoids serve as natural control of large outbreaks of this and other species of defoliating caterpillars and no chemical control is recommended.
Rosy maple moth late instar larva (green-striped mapleworm) (Steven Katovich, Bugwood.org).
Contact Us: For advice about pest identification or diagnosis, contact the LSU AgCenter Department of Entomology. Reach the department through the Contact Us webpage.
P4016
9/15/2025
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