Imagine going outdoors to see a colorful, furry, pink and yellow winged creature you thought only appeared in cartoons. Rebecca Lavoie, a journalist and podcast presenter, recently discovered not one, but two pink maple moths on her porch, and the internet can’t believe they’re genuine.
Lavoie tweeted, “This moth occurs in nature, and it’s ON MY DECK.” “No, that’s arts and crafts,” someone laughed. “Oh my days,” said another, “it looks like something a toddler would draw.” “What a strawberry-banana milkshake of a moth,” someone other said.
The bright, fascinating insect is genuine. Several additional Twitter users also reported sightings. “I had one come visit me too, and I named him Pink Lemonade,” said one. “Then I noticed another one not far away and wondered whether they were lovers.”
Rosy maple moths, technically known as Dryocampa rubicunda, are members of the Saturniidae family, or big silk moths, according to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology. Although they have been observed as far north as Ontario, Canada, they are most commonly observed along the East Coast, as far south as Florida. (Lavoie’s Twitter bio states that she is from New Hampshire, therefore her sighting is confirmed.) The population of Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska extends somewhat westward.
The pink maple is recognized for its woolly body and brilliant color, although their color really fluctuates, according to the University of Virginia’s Mountain Lake Biological Station. Their bodies range from bright yellow to cream or white, and their wings are normally pink, but some are more rosy than others. In reality, only the Alba subspecies occurs in Missouri, and they are either completely white or white with pink markings.
According to the University of Michigan, the moths are mostly nocturnal and solitary, except when they mate, when adults emerge in the late morning and early afternoon, which might explain why Lavoie noticed two.
Adult rose maples do not consume food! As a result, they are not a threat to their ecology as predators, and they will not devour your landscape. So, if you happen to see one in your yard, remember that it is harmless.
