Five-spotted hawkmoth
Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth, 1803)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Identification: Abdomen usually has 5 but sometimes 6 pairs of yellow bands. Forewing is blurry brown and gray. Hindwing is banded with brown and white and has 2 well-separated median zigzag bands. Forewing fringes are grayish, not distinctly spotted with white.
Wing Span: 3 9/16 - 5 5/16 inches (9 - 13.5 cm).
Life History: Adults fly at dusk, and females deposit eggs singly on the upper surface of host plant leaves. The caterpillars are called Tomato Hornworms and each has a black horn at the end of the abdomen. Caterpillars have huge appetites for leaves and fruits and can defoliate plants quickly. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate and overwinter in soil burrows.
Flight: . Several broods from February-October in Florida and from April-October in Louisiana, at least two broods from May-October in the rest of the range.
Caterpillar Hosts: Potato, tobacco, tomato, and other plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), petunia (Petunia hybrida), bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis), tobacco (Nicotiana), and phlox (Phlox).
Habitat: Tobacco fields, vegetable gardens, and wherever host plants are found.
Range: Mexico north throughout most of the United States and occasionally southern Canada, but it is uncommon in the Southeast and the Great Plains.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Caterpillars are pests on tomato and other plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae).
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 97 - 120 of 681 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 02, 2017
Submitted by: faithm2005
Region: Marion County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 04, 2017
Observation date: Sep 09, 2016
Submitted by: SusanMunk
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 01, 2017
Observation date: Jul 18, 2009
Submitted by: ribitzki49
Region: Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 18, 2016
Observation date: Oct 13, 2016
Submitted by: dashingdills
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: apan123
Verified date: Oct 20, 2016
Observation date: Oct 06, 2016
Submitted by: SciBAS
Region: Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Oct 12, 2016
Observation date: Aug 29, 2016
Submitted by: baumanne
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Oct 01, 2016
Observation date: Sep 22, 2016
Submitted by: kking216
Region: Hall County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: kking216
Verified date: Sep 28, 2016
Observation date: Sep 23, 2016
Submitted by: Mmmcoffee
Region: Yakima County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 27, 2016
Observation date: Sep 10, 2016
Submitted by: Mark Rodkey
Region: Hays County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 25, 2016
Observation date: Aug 21, 2016
Submitted by: Jon Rapp
Region: Newton County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Sep 17, 2016
Observation date: Sep 07, 2016
Submitted by: Little River Park
Region: Orange County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: AllenRatz
Verified date: Sep 07, 2016
Observation date: Aug 18, 2016
Submitted by: Sue Norlin
Region: Canyon County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 25, 2016
Observation date: Aug 04, 2016
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 04, 2016
Observation date: Jun 29, 2016
Submitted by: John Wilson
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: apan123
Verified date: Aug 03, 2016
Observation date: Jul 22, 2016
Submitted by: bearclaw
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: apan123
Verified date: Jul 31, 2016
Observation date: Sep 03, 2015
Submitted by: emilywilde2009@...
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Sep 15, 2015
Observation date: Sep 05, 2015
Submitted by: Fried285
Region: Cibola County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Sep 15, 2015
Observation date: Aug 17, 2015
Submitted by: Kurt R. Schwarz
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: Josiah Gilbert
Verified date: Sep 10, 2015
Observation date: Aug 30, 2014
Submitted by: wildreturn
Region: Lincoln County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Sep 03, 2015
Observation date: Aug 23, 2015
Submitted by: shepjack
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Aug 31, 2015
Observation date: Aug 04, 2015
Submitted by: Shelley Rutkin
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: AllenRatz
Verified date: Aug 05, 2015
Observation date: Jun 22, 2015
Submitted by: Chila2015
Region: Yakima County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 29, 2015
Observation date: Jul 10, 2015
Submitted by: Fisherboy
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 29, 2015
Observation date: Aug 31, 2014
Submitted by: rockifields
Region: Platte County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Steve Spomer
Verified date: May 14, 2015
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