Fun Rosy Maple Facts For Kids

The Rosy Maple Moth is the smallest of the silk moths, belonging to the family of Saturniidae. These moths are distinguishable by their yellow and pink coloration of varying intensity. It is native to North America. Their preferred host trees are sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum). Hence the name 'Rosy Maple Moths'. Their life-cycle consists of four stages namely eggs, caterpillar, pupa, and adult. They have a short lifespan of two to nine months.

Their breeding season is mainly in the summer. The female lays around 150 -200 eggs. They lay eggs on the underside or below the trees to hide them from predators. The larvae live on the same host tree throughout its instars or the developmental stage. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN Red List, Rosy Maple Moths are listed as species that have been Not Evaluated. Habitat loss is their main threat. If you like this article then do check out gypsy mothy and morpho butterflies.
 

What type of animal is a Rosy Maple Moth?

The Rosy Maple Moth is an insect belonging to the family Saturniidae.

What class of animal does a Rosy Maple Moth belong to?

It belongs to the class Insecta. The scientific name of this colorful species of moth is Dryocampa rubicunda.

How many Rosy Maple Moths are there in the world?

The exact number of Rosy Maple Moths present in the world is not known.

Where does a Rosy Maple Moth live?

It is native to North America. In the north, it resides in parts of Canada including Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward, and Ontario,. In the south, it inhabits the Eastern Coast of the United States and Florida. In the west, its range extends from Texas to Minnesota.

What is a Rosy Maple Moth's habitat?

It resides in deciduous forests in the temperate zone. It constitutes broad-leaved trees that shed their leaves in the fall. They are predominantly found in maple trees namely sugar maples, silver maples, red maples, silver maples, box elder maples. They also feed on oak trees.

Who do Rosy Maple Moths live with?

Rosy maple moth larvae stay in groups. But after attaining maturity, adult rosy maple moths mostly live in solitary except for the breeding seasons.

How long does a Rosy Maple Moth live?

It has a lifespan of two to nine months. However, in captivity, they live for only two to five months Their life-cycle consists of four stages namely eggs, caterpillar, pupa, and adult.

How do they reproduce?

They are polygynandrous in nature which means both males and females have several mating partners. They are able to reproduce at two to nine months of age. Their breeding season usually occurs in the summer attaining a peak in July. Females secrete pheromones to attract males. Mating occurs at night and fertilization is internal. Females lay their eggs below the leaves of the host trees like sugar maple, almost after 24 hours of fertilization. Female rosy maple moths are oviparous and lay 150 - 200 eggs. Female broods one or three times a year depending upon the location. The hatching of the larva happens after two weeks. Caring of the young by parent moths is nearly absent in them.

What is their conservation status?

International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN Red List has listed the Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) as species Not Evaluated. However, habitat loss is a concerning threat encountered by this species.

What do Rosy Maple Moths look like?

Rosy Maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) is one of the smallest silk moths with a distinct color combination of variable intensity. Their wings are 1.26 - 2.16 in (32 - 55 mm) in length. They are distinguished by their wooly body which can be bright yellow to creamy white in color. Their legs and antennae along with the ventral side of the body are pink in color. The hindwings are yellow while the forewings are pink in color. Sexual dimorphism is present in them. The females are slightly larger in size with a greater wingspan than the males. The males contain bipectinate antennae in contrast to the simple antennae of the female. They exhibit variable colors at different stages of development. The larvae have a yellowish cream body with green stripes and black-colored heads. Caterpillars have a red-colored head with a dark greenish-blue line running across the body.

How cute are they?

Their cuteness usually stems from their appearance. They have a wooly body with distinct colors ranging from creamy white to bright yellow with pink spots. Their legs and antennae are reddish-pink in color. While in the caterpillar stage they have a yellowish-green body with dark green and blue lines.

How do they communicate?

They do not have auditory receptors and hence rely on their antennae, palps, and legs for sensory functions. The antennae of the males are bipectinate which allows them to sense pheromones secreted by the females as a signal for mating. Adult moths use their hair-like structures called setae which processes tangible information about the surroundings to send to the brain.

How big is a Rosy Maple Moth?

Their wings are 1.26 - 2.16 in (32 - 55 mm) in length. They are one of the smallest species of silk moth.

How fast can Rosy Maple Moths fly?

Not much is known about how fast they can fly. One source states its recorded speed to range between 3.1-6.2 mph (5-10kph).However, they have small wings which have to be filled with fluids in order to fly. They are nocturnal and fly at night.

How much does a Rosy Maple Moth weigh?

Scientists have not determined the exact weight of this species. However, they belong to the silk moth category so it can be assumed that they weigh around 0.16 oz (5 g).

What are their male and female names of the species?

Scientists do not have a specific name to identify the male and female Rosy Maple Moth. Hence they are commonly referred to as male Rosy Maple Moth and female Rosy Maple Moth.

What would you call a baby Rosy Maple Moth?

A baby Rose Maple Moth is usually called green striped mapleworm. They are named so after the green stripes on the body of rosy maple moth larvae.

What do they eat?

Rosy maple moth larvae feed on the host tree they are born in which includes sugar maple, silver maple, red maple, and turkey oak. The larvae eat the underside of the leaves of the maple tree or oak trees in groups. In the next stage, the rosy maple moth caterpillar can eat a few leaves individually. The adult rosy maple moth does not feed at all.

Are they dangerous?

They aren't dangerous but rosy maple moth caterpillar can sting. Its spines carry a toxin that might be poisonous when it comes to contact with the human skin.

Would they make a good pet?

Rosy maple moths can be kept as pets. They are extremely pleasant in appearance. Although in the caterpillar stage they might defoliate trees.

Did you know...

They have a pair of compound eyes and simple eyes. Compound eyes contain ommatidia that consist of lens, cornea, and photoreceptor cells. Simple eyes are involved in ascertaining the intensity of light. Compound eyes and simple eyes together help them to see Ultraviolet rays. Their eyes evolve with each developmental stage of their life.

Why are rosy maple moths pink?

They use their easily distinguishable and vibrant pink coloration to warn off predators. Their predators include tufted titmice, blue jays and black-capped chickadees.

What does a rosy maple moth symbolize?

The Rosy maple moth (dryocampa rubicunda) is named after their host tree of preference which is the maple tree. They also have pink color on their wings. Moth symbolizes the power of regeneration and rebirth in spiritual terms. The cocoon represents feeling trapped while the adult moth represents liberation. Maple moths have a significant place in the native North American culture and they are carved in several artifacts and potteries.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including puss moth, or common wasp.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Rosy maple Moth coloring pages.