Photos: Meet the 'internet famous' rosy maple moth
Learn more about a moth that recently became internet famous.
Butterflies have a reputation for being the "beautiful" insect -- but there are a lot of other photogenic bugs out there.
Take moths for example.
There are around 160,000 species of moths in the world, compared to around 17,500 species of butterflies.
And some moth species are stunning -- like the rosy maple moth, which went viral on Twitter when Rebecca Lavoie posted a photo of one lounging on her deck.
As of this writing, the photo has been 'liked' more than 564,000 times.
While many people have been calling it a 'strawberry banana' moth, it's more commonly referred to as a rosy maple moth, or dryocampa rubicunda.
They are native to North America and have been recorded in southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
You can also find them along the east coast of the U.S. and in Florida, usually in wooded areas and near maple trees -- but it's not uncommon to see them in residential areas if their host tree is nearby.
Colours can range from white to a vibrant yellow, with dark pink markings.
While caterpillars, rosy maples carry toxins that can irritate the skin when touched.
They typically live for 2-9 months. For some, much of that time is spent as a pupa during the winter months.
MORE PHOTOS OF ROSY MAPLE MOTHS
Courtesy: Getty Images.
Courtesy: Lesley Brown.
Courtesy: Whitney.
Courtesy: Getty Images.
