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 97 - 120 of 1235 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 17, 2021
Observation date: Aug 18, 2015
Submitted by: epavloff
Region: Ulster County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2016
Submitted by: Kylie Tigard
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2019
Submitted by: a.d.levine
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2018
Submitted by: Ib2stone
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 12, 2018
Submitted by: vkamna
Region: Queens County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 17, 2019
Submitted by: Lagamboa
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 15, 2021
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: Charicola
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 14, 2021
Observation date: Sep 20, 2020
Submitted by: drakdamen
Region: Sacramento County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 30, 2021
Submitted by: Melissa Lacouture
Region: Texas, Orange County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Grant County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: Brandi Hickcox
Region: Dallas County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: schoppan
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 20, 2019
Submitted by: jnchandler
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 28, 2021
Observation date: Aug 27, 2021
Submitted by: trautwein
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 27, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2021
Submitted by: WebShepherd
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 25, 2021
Observation date: Aug 21, 2021
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 22, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: deafdog
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 18, 2021
Observation date: Aug 06, 2021
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 02, 2021
Submitted by: erinlale
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: ngiles0296
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2021
Submitted by: pgallaway
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 01, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: Freakytrish
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Jul 20, 2021
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