Dryocampa Rubicunda Rosy Maple Moth

(jpg found at wikimedia commons under creative commons)

This lovely little insect is a silk moth from the family Rubicunda. It's a pretty moth with rosy pink wings striped with a little taupe.  The Rosy Maple Moth feeds on maple trees like the sugar maple, silver maple and red maple. The moth uses the maple tree for food and does go underground near the tree. It's a nocturnal insect so the rosy little pest comes out at night. The female lets off pheromones like other animals and mates every year.

The female moth is a little bigger than the male. They have pale green eggs and the caterpillar. Like many animals, the Rosy moth male is more colorful than the female. The adaptation of the male is the problem.