Catalpa sphinx
Ceratomia catalpae (Boisduval, 1875)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Identification: Forewing is yellowish brown with no white markings and indistinct black lines and dashes. Cell spot is gray with a black outline. Hindwing is yellowish brown with obscure lines.
Wing Span: 2 9/16 - 3 3/4 inches (6.5 - 9.5 cm).
Life History: Adult moths fly at night. Females lay large clusters of eggs on the underside of host leaves or smaller clusters on twigs and branches. Young caterpillars feed together in groups; older ones feed singly. Fully-grown caterpillars crawl down the tree trunk to pupate and overwinter in chambers dug 2-3 inches into the soil. Caterpillars are often parasitized by a wasp, Apanteles congregatus, which lays its eggs inside the caterpillar. The caterpillar eventually dies as the wasp larvae feed inside it.
Flight: . Two flights from May-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Catalpa species in the Bignoniaceae family.
Adult Food: Adults probably do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands and suburban plantings.
Range: Eastern states from Maine west to Iowa; south to Florida, the Gulf States, and Texas. Also Colorado and Nebraska. Comment: Caterpillars are used as fish bait in the Southeast.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: During outbreaks, caterpillars can defoliate catalpa trees.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 482 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 19, 2017
Submitted by: Stylurus
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 1987
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 03, 2022
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: klebo
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: Ron Gelardi
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Oct 05, 2021
Submitted by: Darrin Frye
Region: Frederick County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 07, 2021
Observation date: Sep 27, 2021
Submitted by: lillianmynatte
Region: Sampson County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 04, 2021
Observation date: Sep 27, 2021
Submitted by: lillianmynatte
Region: Sampson County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 04, 2021
Observation date: Sep 21, 2021
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 26, 2021
Observation date: Sep 08, 2021
Submitted by: Gabby
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 12, 2021
Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 15, 2021
Observation date: Aug 12, 2021
Submitted by: tmlehman
Region: Adams County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2021
Observation date: Aug 07, 2021
Submitted by: AbVans
Region: Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: joel2132
Region: Wyandotte County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jun 07, 2021
Submitted by: agdsquash
Region: Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: dmccord
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 16, 2020
Submitted by: Rr1982
Region: Monroe County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Feb 01, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Clermont County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jan 12, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2020
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Clermont County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jan 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2016
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Cass County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 02, 2020
Observation date: Oct 04, 2020
Submitted by: TioCeBoji
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 04, 2020
Observation date: Sep 14, 2020
Submitted by: Shelbysc
Region: Brown County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 14, 2020
Observation date: Aug 20, 2020
Submitted by: Stephen G.
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: Stephen G.
Verified date: Sep 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 27, 2020
Submitted by: Dave Webb
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 11, 2020
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