June 2025 • Nebraskaland 37
from its native range, following
planted catalpas. Over the past two
decades, my friend Mark Brogie, who
attracts moths with night lights,
has photographed several catalpa
moths in his backyard in Creighton
in Knox County. "A catalpa tree just
down the street is the likely source
of these moths," Brogie said. If the
catalpa sphinx moth has reached as
far northward and westward as Knox
County, it could be present wherever
catalpas grow in Nebraska.
In spring, the female moths lay
masses of eggs on the underside of
catalpa leaves. Typically, two broods
of caterpillars hatch each summer.
Mature caterpillars can reach 2 inches
in length and are usually black on
the back with a broad yellow stripe
along the side. They have a single
thorn-like, black horn at the tail end.
When fully developed, the caterpillars
drop from the leaves and burrow
into the soil where they overwinter,
metamorphosize and emerge as adult
moths the following spring.
In the South, these caterpillars are
called Catawba worms, and anglers
prize them as bait for bass, bluegill,
catfi sh and other fi sh. Fishermen
pick the worms individually from the
underside of leaves where they hang
out or shake a branch or tree to collect
entire coff ee cans full of the fallen
worms. Some anglers turn the worms
inside out on the hook, claiming that
their soft, juicy insides better entice
fi sh. Lastly, it's rumored that smart
fi shermen never reveal the location of
their favorite Catawba worm tree.
It's likely that northern catalpa trees
will continue to spread in Nebraska.
How much of a nuisance they become
remains unknown. On the positive
side, in the coming decades, Nebraska
anglers may have a new go-to fi sh
bait.
N
Catalpa sphinx moths are most active at night, using a strong sense of smell to
fi nd nectar-rich fl owers. During the day, their brownish-gray color and speckled
wings help them blend into tree bark and avoid predators.
PHOTO BY MARK A. BROGIE
A catalpa worm feeding on catalpa leaves. GETTY IMAGES
