SB 

 818 



C578 10.96. Issued December 16, 1907 



ENT 



nited States Department of Agriculture, 



BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 

 L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. 



THE CATALPA SPHINX. 



(Ceratomia catalpa? Bdv.) 

 By L. O. Howard and F. II. Chittenden. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Our native species of catalpa, the eastern catalpa (Catalpa big- 

 nonioides) and the hardy or western species {Catalpa speeiosa), are 

 comparatively free from insect attack. Such common shade-tree 

 defoliators as the bagworm and fall webworm occasionally feed 

 upon the leaves, but apparently do so only in the absence of food more 

 palatable to them. There is one insect, however, the catalpa sphinx 

 (Ceratoi/tic catalpce Bdv. Q ). which lives normally and exclusively on 

 the foliage of this tree and in some seasons does very considerable 

 injury, frequently causing complete defoliation. There is evidence 

 that this species, owing doubtless to the increased planting of these 

 trees in regions other than their native homes, has also increased its 

 natural range, and injury is more extensive now than formerly. 

 During the year 190<> injury was noticed in Ohio, New Jersey, and 

 Pennsylvania, but in 1907 reports of damage which reached this office 

 indicated general infestation over a much larger area. This included 

 portions of Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Ohio. Xew 

 Jersey, Indiana, and Florida. Mr. A. S. Peck, of the Forest Service. 

 also reports injury in July, 1907, at Warsaw, Ky. It is probable 

 that the insect also infested the intervening territory not yet reported 

 to this Bureau. 



DESCRIPTIVE. 



The catalpa sphinx in its active feeding stage is a large caterpillar, 

 attaining a length of fully 3 inches. It is very variable in color, 

 there being a light and a dark form, as in the case of some related 

 species. The prevailing colors are yellow and black, and this, com- 



o Synonyms are Sphinx catalpce and Daremma catalpa: 

 17528— Cir. 90—07. 



