Carolina sphinx
Manduca sexta (Linnaeus, 1763)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Identification: Abdomen usually has 6 pairs of yellow bands. Forewing has indistinct black, brown, and white markings. Hindwing is banded with black and white and has 2 black zigzag median lines that are very close together with hardly any white showing between them. Wing fringes on forewing are spotted with white.
Wing Span: 3 3/4 - 4 3/4 inches (9.5 - 12 cm).
Life History: Adults fly at dusk, and females lay eggs singly on the upperside of host plant leaves. The caterpillars are known as Tobacco Hornworms, and each has a red-tipped horn at the end of its abdomen. Caterpillars have large appetites for leaves and fruits and can defoliate plants quickly. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate and overwinter in burrows in the soil.
Flight: . Several broods throughout the year in Florida, several broods from April-October in Louisiana, and two broods from May-October in the remainder 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), moonflower (Calonyction aculeata), and petunia (Petunia hybrida).
Habitat: Tobacco fields, vegetable gardens, and a wide variety of habitats.
Range: Massachusetts west across southern Michigan to Minnesota, central Colorado, and northern California; south to Florida, the Gulf Coast, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California.
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 tobacco and tomato, and occasionally potato and pepper crops.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 1235 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: Latenight
Region: Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 04, 2023
Observation date: Sep 17, 2017
Submitted by: Jhortega2
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 09, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: Susanurban
Region: Vinton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 08, 2023
Observation date: Jul 27, 2021
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 25, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2022
Submitted by: greenesnake@yah...
Region: Gibson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 09, 2023
Observation date: Aug 24, 2016
Submitted by: sdepies
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2016
Submitted by: Julie from MO
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Jun 20, 2015
Submitted by: Tim Norriss
Region: Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 23, 2023
Observation date: Oct 09, 2022
Submitted by: DDethlef
Region: Mesa County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jan 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Sep 11, 2014
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 26, 2022
Observation date: Sep 24, 2022
Submitted by: davek
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 24, 2022
Observation date: Jun 24, 2018
Submitted by: KingBird888
Region: Yolo County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2018
Submitted by: janehansen
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2018
Submitted by: Bumsticks
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Sep 11, 2022
Submitted by: KeriHanson
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2020
Submitted by: blakesasse
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
Observation date: Sep 09, 2022
Submitted by: Russell4Peace
Region: Carroll County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2022
Submitted by: Luckyduck81583
Region: Clark County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: owlbyr
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
Observation date: Sep 08, 2022
Submitted by: CBelair1007
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Sep 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 23, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2022
Observation date: May 29, 2021
Submitted by: Zimmermannek
Region: Calaveras County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: Muirhannah90
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
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