Cotesia congregata

Tobacco and Tomato Hornworms are beautiful native moths belonging to the Sphynx (Hawk) Moth family, Sphingidae. We don’t often see sphynx moths because most are night flyers. Their undulating markings and color patterns allow them to blend with tree bark where they commonly rest during the day.

I came across a collection of first-generation catalpa hornworms (Ceratomia catalpae) feeding on a southern catalpa (Catalpa speciose, family Bignoniaceae)) planted in a county park in southwest Ohio. The caterpillars were 2nd instars when I found them on Monday; however, these native moth caterpillars develop rapidly.

Participants in the Greater Cincinnati BYGLive! Diagnostic Walk-About held this past Monday in the Boone County Arboretum (Union, KY) viewed second-generation Catalpa Hornworms (Ceratomia catalpae) enjoying a last hurrah before pupating this season. Their discovery led to a discussion on host preference, parasitoids, and a virus spun out of a wasp's genome

Catalpas (Catalpa spp., family Bignoniaceae) have long been one of my favorite trees. Both the Northern Catalpa (C. speciose) and its shorter southern cousin, S. bignonioides, sport huge, orchid-like flowers that attract a bevy of pollinators, particularly bumble bees.