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 73 - 96 of 1250 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 20, 2022
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: ekruglikov
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: Shamra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2012
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 23, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: ships333
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 26, 2020
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2022
Submitted by: plord253
Region: Meriwether County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 20, 2022
Submitted by: LukaCustoms
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 29, 2022
Observation date: Oct 06, 2011
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2022
Observation date: May 31, 2022
Submitted by: Ryan Faries
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 08, 2022
Observation date: May 11, 2022
Submitted by: Monarchs_and_Friends
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: May 14, 2022
Observation date: Sep 01, 2019
Submitted by: lassa8
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 05, 2022
Observation date: Oct 16, 2015
Submitted by: Ms. Ortiz
Region: San Benito County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2016
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2022
Observation date: Oct 11, 2016
Submitted by: Ifyouseeke
Region: Sacramento County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2017
Submitted by: Kevjele95
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2022
Observation date: Oct 05, 2014
Submitted by: Okole1808
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 22, 2022
Observation date: Sep 01, 2017
Submitted by: bololub
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 22, 2022
Observation date: Oct 05, 2018
Submitted by: Peruse
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 22, 2022
Observation date: Jul 10, 2019
Submitted by: mathgirl17
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 22, 2022
Observation date: Sep 10, 2017
Submitted by: Canice
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 21, 2022
Observation date: Sep 27, 2017
Submitted by: Jpkoestn
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2017
Submitted by: Dcastillo713
Region: Stanislaus County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 21, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2017
Submitted by: Sbodiford
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 21, 2022
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