Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
Dryocampa rubicunda (dry-oh-camp-ah • roo-bih-cun-da)
Family: Saturniidae (Silk Moths) (sat-uhr-NYE-ah-dee)
Flight period: North May–August / South April–September
Wingspan: 1-5/16 to 2-1/16 inches
Photo by Hillstar Editions L.C.
Identification
Dorsal/upperside. Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
The dorsal/upperside of the body and wings can vary from bright yellow to cream to white. Bright pink usually covers all the wing area, except for the median of the forewing. The hindwing has a wide outer border that is bright pink.
Ventral/underside.Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
The ventral/underside of the body and wings can vary from bright yellow to cream to white. The wings have pale pink areas. The abdomen has pink stripes and the legs are pink. When handled, they play dead.
Host / Larval Food Plants
Red Maple — Acer rubrum
Silver Maple — Acer saccharinum
Sugar Maple — Acer saccharum
Turkey Oak — Quercus laevis
Silver Maple Acer saccharinum. Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
Life Cycle
Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
Rosy Maple Moths have 1 brood in the north and 2 to 3 broods in the south each year. The eggs are yellow and laid on the leaves of the host plant.
Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
An egg is between 1/32 and 1/16 inch wide. It takes about 10 to 15 days for the egg to hatch. The development of the caterpillar is visible through the egg.
Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
When the caterpillar hatches, it is about 3/32 inch long.
Photos by Brenda Dziedzic
The young caterpillars feed in groups.
Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
In later instars, they become solitary. The caterpillar is about 2 inches long in the last instar.
Photo by Brenda Dziedzic
The caterpillar burrows into the ground to pupate. It does not spin a cocoon. The last brood overwinters in the ground and emerges the following year.
Adult Food
The adults do not feed because they have no proboscises. For that reason, they have short lifespans.
More from Raising Butterflies in the Garden:
Cover courtesy of Firefly Books
This excerpt is taken from Raising Butterflies in the Garden by butterfly expert Brenda Dziedzic, with the permission of Firefly Books Ltd.
