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 1 - 24 of 1224 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 05, 2024
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 05, 2024
Observation date: Sep 30, 2020
Submitted by: eattaway92
Region: Will County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 27, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Highland County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 13, 2024
Observation date: Jun 25, 2017
Submitted by: leeboyd
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Dec 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 07, 2017
Submitted by: tanisedwards
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Dec 14, 2023
Observation date: Aug 05, 2017
Submitted by: Shingle Springs
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Oct 03, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: dingbingbats
Region: Rankin County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 14, 2023
Observation date: Sep 07, 2019
Submitted by: Candace2005
Region: Leslie County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2023
Submitted by: mrsjuliepayne
Region: Harnett County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Jul 27, 2018
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: audreybeesch
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: Holly Merck
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 06, 2023
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
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