Rosy Maple Moth: Man stunned after spotting ‘magical’ winged creature in his garden in America

Man stunned after spotting ‘magical’ winged creature that looks like a children’s toy in his garden: ‘What on earth is this?’

  • Man shocked to find mystical winged insect in his backyard 
  • The small creature turned out to be a Rosy Maple Moth 

A man was thrilled to experience a ‘magical’ transformation by a mystical winged creature fluttering about in his garden.

Lahiru, an animal enthusiast, was walking around when he spotted a burst of bright pink and yellow in the grass.

The animal lover crouched down to find a furry Rosy Maple Moth in the process of filling up its wings.

Rosy Maple Moths are typically native to North America and are well-known because of their unique colouring and unusual fur coating their body.

The small creature followed Lahiru around his garden for a little bit before finally unfolding its large, curved wings and taking flight.

A man was thrilled to experience a ‘magical’ transformation by a mystical winged creature fluttering about in his garden

An animal enthusiast was simply walking around when he spotted a burst of pink and yellow in the grass

The animal lover crouched down to find a furry Rosy Maple Moth in the process of filling up its wings

An animal enthusiast was simply walking around when he spotted a burst of bright pink and yellow in the grass 

Thousands have dubbed the small insect the ‘most adorable creature ever’ and were shocked by its metamorphosis.

‘I got to witness what I thought was amazing,’ Lahiru shared in a popular Facebook group. 

‘I watched this little one filling up it’s wings. What started as a thing with tiny wings that kept following me turned into a beautiful creature,’ he added.

He shared several photos of the moth which have many entranced by the little creature’s journey.

‘We have them where I live,’ a mum said. ‘My kids always called them cotton candy moths.’  

‘Mind blown. What a fantastic thing to bear witness to – such a beautiful moth!’ another wrote.

‘So beautiful, I’ve never seen anything like it,’ wrote a third.

Another added: ‘That’s so cute! My son looked over my shoulder and asked mom is that a new Pokémon.’

Rosy Maple Moths are typically native to North America and are well-known due to their unique colouring

Rosy Maple Moths are typically native to North America and are well-known due to their unique colouring

What is a Rosy Maple Moth?

A Rosy Maple Moth is a North American species commonly found in maple trees. 

Nocturnal and relatively small, with a wingspan of up to 5.2 cm, its colouring ranges from bright yellow to pale cream, with varying shades of pink on the legs and wings. 

Like most members of the family Saturniidae, rosy maple moths are covered in a coat of dense fuzz, which helps them to pollinate flowers more efficiently. 

While the true reason of its unique colouring is a mystery, it’s been suggested that pink and yellow give it the appearance of flower parts, and hence act as a type of camouflage. 

Source: Australian Geographic 

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