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 169 - 192 of 1235 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 25, 2020
Submitted by: Don Marotte
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 25, 2020
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 16, 2020
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 17, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: eroutside
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 14, 2020
Submitted by: WndrWmn
Region: Cecil County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 14, 2020
Observation date: Jul 08, 2020
Submitted by: electricfig
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 08, 2020
Observation date: Jul 01, 2020
Submitted by: butteruckus
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 02, 2020
Observation date: Jun 28, 2020
Submitted by: GinaLynnV
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 28, 2020
Submitted by: GinaLynnV
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 29, 2020
Submitted by: blueracer
Region: Ashland County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 25, 2020
Submitted by: dchezrt
Region: Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2020
Observation date: Jun 22, 2020
Submitted by: queenguin
Region: Warrick County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 25, 2010
Submitted by: Don Marotte
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 10, 2020
Observation date: May 09, 2020
Submitted by: meganbabula
Region: Columbia County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 09, 2020
Observation date: Aug 19, 2016
Submitted by: Mark Duigon
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2019
Submitted by: JMJaskula
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 18, 2019
Observation date: Sep 12, 2019
Submitted by: steve.hoppin
Region: Scott County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Nov 11, 2019
Observation date: Oct 24, 2019
Submitted by: Amanda Dorton
Region: Buchanan County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 08, 2019
Observation date: Nov 09, 2018
Submitted by: Bob Sand
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Oct 08, 2019
Observation date: Sep 08, 2019
Submitted by: marycurry
Region: Texas, Wise County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 01, 2019
Observation date: Sep 28, 2019
Submitted by: tankman1972
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 01, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: K.D
Region: Franklin County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 22, 2019
Observation date: Sep 14, 2019
Submitted by: WhoIsThisMoth
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 14, 2019
Observation date: Sep 14, 2019
Submitted by: Casejacks
Region: Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 14, 2019
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