Pest profile

Rosy Maple Moth

Dryocampa rubicunda · Lepidoptera: Saturniidae[2]

The rosy maple moth is a silk moth whose caterpillars, greenstriped mapleworms, can defoliate maples but rarely harm them.[1]

Rosy maple moth, a fuzzy pink and yellow moth with pink legs, resting on a leaf
Rosy maple moth, a fuzzy pink and yellow moth with pink legs, resting on a leaf. (c) skitterbug, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Adults are thick, fuzzy moths, usually pink and yellow, up to 2 inches across; it's the smallest of the silk moths.[1]
  • Caterpillars are bright green with faint white stripes and black dots, a red or orange head with two black horns, and a red streak near the rear.[1]

Where it lives

It's found throughout North America; in South Carolina, adults mate from as early as March to October.[1]

US map: public records from 33 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Females lay egg clusters under host leaves, and young caterpillars feed together before becoming solitary.[1]

Larvae crawl to the ground to pupate in shallow soil; sugar, silver and red maples are the main hosts, sometimes turkey oak.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Hundreds of caterpillars can strip a tree, usually an aesthetic problem; defoliation may harm saplings or stressed trees.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; Clemson HGIC mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

Traps and physical control

Wipe egg clusters off the undersides of leaves to stop caterpillars before they hatch.[1]

Biological control

Birds such as titmice, blue jays and chickadees, plus parasitic flies, wasps and predatory beetles, feed on them.[1]

Pesticides

Insecticides work on larvae but are very rarely advised or worthwhile; talk to an arborist or Extension agent first.[1]

Common questions

What is the pink and yellow fuzzy moth on my porch?
It's likely a rosy maple moth, a small silk moth often pink and yellow.[1]
Will greenstriped mapleworms kill my maple?
Generally not; defoliation is mostly aesthetic, though it can harm saplings or stressed trees.[1]

Sources

  1. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, “Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) (HGIC 2022).” hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/rosy-maple-moth-dryocampa-rubicunda/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Dryocampa rubicunda taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48094 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.