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
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 145 - 168 of 519 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 12, 2017
Submitted by: treichard
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 29, 2017
Observation date: Aug 11, 2017
Submitted by: treichard
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 29, 2017
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: LadyMothra
Region: Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 29, 2017
Observation date: Aug 23, 2017
Submitted by: AutumnYuuki
Region: Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 24, 2017
Observation date: Aug 16, 2017
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 24, 2017
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 20, 2017
Observation date: Aug 13, 2017
Submitted by: edscott
Region: Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 14, 2017
Observation date: Jun 30, 2013
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 14, 2017
Observation date: Aug 12, 2017
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 12, 2017
Observation date: Jul 16, 2017
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 11, 2017
Observation date: Aug 03, 2017
Submitted by: Danielle_A
Region: Salem County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 04, 2017
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: tweetybird68
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 31, 2017
Observation date: Jul 24, 2017
Submitted by: Amberleighbee
Region: Virginia, Waynesboro, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 27, 2017
Observation date: Jul 20, 2017
Submitted by: itchyb48
Region: Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 24, 2017
Observation date: Jul 08, 2017
Submitted by: bjankord
Region: Shawnee County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 20, 2017
Observation date: Jul 20, 2017
Submitted by: tedmickle
Region: Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 20, 2017
Observation date: Jul 11, 2017
Submitted by: mlsaula@verizon.net
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 11, 2017
Observation date: Jul 07, 2017
Submitted by: Nancyjp
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 09, 2017
Observation date: Jul 12, 2016
Submitted by: akautz14
Region: Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 06, 2017
Observation date: Apr 24, 2017
Submitted by: rdhealy1951@aol.com
Region: Hart County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2017
Observation date: Jun 29, 2017
Submitted by: hannah3149
Region: New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2017
Observation date: Jun 24, 2017
Submitted by: SethAlex
Region: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 24, 2017
Observation date: Sep 22, 2016
Submitted by: drkilmer
Region: Frederick County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 30, 2016
Observation date: Sep 04, 2009
Submitted by: ribitzki49
Region: Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 17, 2016
- ‹ previous
- 7 of 22
- next ›