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HornwormsCaterpillar Invasion
Hi Bugman – You have a great site! I noticed that a tree in my yard was being defoliated – at first I thought it was just some deer munching their way through to the rest of the “salad bar” my gardens provide. However, on closer inspection, I discovered the tree has at least 75-100 of these caterpillars happily munching away. Any idea as to what they could be? The are smooth, with a single “horn” above their posterior and a dark black/blue body with the yellow colorations down their sides. They range in size from about 1.5 to 3 inches long. Thanks for any help you can provide. I live in central NJ, 10 minutes from the ocean. The caterpillars are munching on a catalpa tree, which is about two years old and approximately 15′ tall. The tree was a “gift” from either the winds or birds and was quite happy in its location – which has butterfly bush, milkweed, assorted wildflowers and hummingbird vine. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Regards, Anne
Bingo Anne,
Thank you for writing back with the host plant. Often the host plant is a critical bit of information in caterpillar identification. This is a Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae. Here is a site with a wealth of information. Huge infestations often occur and the tree can be severly defoliated.
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