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 145 - 168 of 1235 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 06, 2020
Submitted by: David LaVerne
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 26, 2020
Observation date: Sep 10, 2020
Submitted by: Lmo78
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 15, 2020
Observation date: Sep 10, 2020
Submitted by: Miney
Region: Carroll County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 12, 2020
Observation date: Sep 05, 2020
Submitted by: Heather Stokes
Region: Greene County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 07, 2020
Observation date: Sep 01, 2020
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 05, 2020
Observation date: Aug 31, 2020
Submitted by: cphillips1773
Region: Guadalupe County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Sep 02, 2020
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 02, 2020
Observation date: Sep 02, 2020
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 02, 2020
Observation date: Aug 29, 2020
Submitted by: ciduncan
Region: Howard County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 30, 2020
Observation date: Aug 23, 2020
Submitted by: Mlcombs
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 24, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2020
Submitted by: Heather Stokes
Region: Greene County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 23, 2020
Observation date: Aug 21, 2020
Submitted by: Gruntaloob
Region: Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2020
Observation date: Aug 18, 2020
Submitted by: klebo
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 20, 2020
Observation date: Aug 18, 2020
Submitted by: Aler58
Region: Lincoln County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 18, 2020
Observation date: Aug 23, 2019
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 18, 2020
Observation date: Aug 16, 2020
Submitted by: sdgarrett
Region: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 16, 2020
Submitted by: Poc
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 13, 2020
Submitted by: kerry fisher
Region: Madison County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 13, 2020
Submitted by: vvryabyy
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: therman1105
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: meadowglenfarm
Region: Scott County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 11, 2020
Observation date: Sep 25, 2018
Submitted by: dolores.gladtid...
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Aug 11, 2020
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: LaurynSommers
Region: Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 11, 2020
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: Smoothtwh
Region: Woodford County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2020
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