Iridoid-glycoside
Guides
Ceratomia catalpae
Catalpa Sphinx, Catawba worm
Ceratomia catalpae, the catalpa sphinx, is a hawk moth in the family Sphingidae native to southeastern North America. The species is notable for its close association with catalpa trees (Catalpa spp.), which serve as the exclusive host plants for its larvae. The caterpillars, known as "catawba worms," are highly valued as fishing bait and sequester defensive iridoid glycosides from their host plants. Adults are dull brown with distinctive wing markings and a wingspan of 65–95 mm. The species has been extensively studied for its chemical ecology, particularly the sequestration of catalpol and its interactions with the parasitoid wasp Cotesia congregata.
Euphydryas anicia anicia
Anicia checkerspot, Variable checkerspot
Euphydryas anicia anicia is a subspecies of checkerspot butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Populations studied at Cumberland Pass, Colorado (elevation 3700 m) numbered 50,000–100,000 individuals, the largest recorded in 19 years of Euphydryas population studies. Adults sequester iridoid glycosides from host plants including Castilleja and Besseya species. Movement distances between recapture events averaged less than 100 meters, though greater than most Euphydryas populations and comparable to more vagile E. chalcedona and E. editha populations.