Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Saturniidae Members:	Dryocampa Members:	765 NC Records

Dryocampa rubicunda (Fabricius, 1793) - Rosy Maple Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Bombycoidea

Family:
Saturniidae

Subfamily:
Caratocaminae

P3 Number:
890022

MONA Number:
7715.00

Other Common Name:
Green-striped Mapleworm

Comments: The only member of its genus (see Ferguson, 1971, for its separation from Anisota). Several color forms have been described, one of which -- alba, a nearly all white form -- Ferguson recognized as a distinct subspecies. Only the typical bicolored form occurs in North Carolina, however.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923), Ferguson (1971), Tuskes et al. (1996)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1923), Ferguson (1971), Covell (1984), Tuskes et al. (1996), Wagner (2005)

Adult Markings: The bright yellow and pink adults are nearly unmistakeable. Only the Pink Prominent (Hyparpax aurora) and Primrose Moth (Schinia florida) are similar in color, although usually smaller. The subterminal area is yellow in S. florida, but red or pink in both Dryocampa and Hyparpax. The thorax of Dryocampa is completely yellow-orange, whereas in Hyparpax there is usually some pink color (Covell, 1984). The antemedian line is somewhat smoothly curved in Dryocampa but sharply angled in Hyparpax (Covell, 1984).

Wingspan: 40 mm, males; 50 mm, females (Forbes, 1923)

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larvae are very distinctive: they possess a pair of thoracic horns similar to those of Anisota larvae, but are striped with green and pale bluish-green stripes and often possess a pink or rosy patch below the spiracles at the rear end of the abdomen (Ferguson, 1971; Wagner, 2005).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Occurs statewide (Brimley, 1938), except, perhaps on the Outer Banks and other barrier islands

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Flight Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: Probably double-brooded over most of the state (Brimley, 1938)

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Maples -- particularly Red Maple -- occur in nearly every type of forested habitat in eastern North America. Not surprisingly, Dryocampa has been found in a wide variety of forests, ranging from swamps and peatlands in the Coastal Plain, to river bottomlands and mesic slopes throughout the Piedmont and Low and High Mountains. In addition to natural areas, it also occurs commonly in wooded residential area. We have no records for the Outer Banks and other barrier islands, however, including Nags Head Woods, Fort Macon State Park, and Bald Head Island, all of which have had intensive moth surveys.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed mainly on maples (Acer spp.), including Red Maple (A. rubrum), Sugar Maple (A. saccharum), Silver Maple (A. saccharinum), and Box-elder (A. negundo) (Ferguson, 1971). In some areas, however, it has also been found on oaks, including Turkey Oak (Q. laevis) (Ferguson, 1971). In North Carolina, we have found larvae primarily on Red Maple, with a few records from oaks, including White Oak (Q. alba). - View

Observation Methods: Adults of both sexes come well to lights, including both blacklights and incandescent. Early instar larvae are gregarious, and in outbreak years can be quite conspicuous. Pupation occurs underground.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Maple Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands

Comments: Populations are locally vulnerable to the effects of weather, outbreaks of disease, parasites, and predators, and to the effects of pesticides. However, given the commonness of their host plants, wide habitat range -- including suburban areas -- and statewide distribution, this species can easily recover from localized losses. Unlike several other species of Saturniids, Dryocampa has remained abundant in the Northeast (Wagner, 2012) and may not be as vulnerable to the effects of Compsilura parasitism.

Photo Gallery for Dryocampa rubicunda - Rosy Maple Moth

340 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: David George on 2025-09-05 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2025-09-05 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2025-09-05 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-19 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-08-16 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Kevin Bischof, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin on 2025-08-16 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-13 Ashe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-02 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-28 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-07-24 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-07-23 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-07-14 Yancey Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-07-04 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2025-07-03 Macon Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-25 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-25 Mitchell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-23 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2025-06-22 Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2025-06-22 Macon Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-21 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-06-20 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-06-18 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-06-08 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ryan Holton on 2025-05-16 Union Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-16 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-06 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-04-24 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-22 Madison Co. Comment: