Pink-spotted hawkmoth
Agrius cingulata (Fabricius, 1775)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Identification: Body is robust. Abdomen tapers to a point and is grayish brown with pink bands. Forewing is mottled gray and brown; hindwing is gray with black bands and pink at the base.
Wing Span: 3 3/4 - 4 3/4 inches (9.5 - 12 cm).
Life History: Caterpillars are large and stout and have a horn at the end of the abdomen. They feed both day and night. Caterpillars pupate in chambers dug in the ground. Adults are very strong fliers.
Flight: . One flight from June-October in most of the range, several flights throughout the year in Florida and Louisiana.
Caterpillar Hosts: Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), jimsonweed (Datura), and related plants.
Adult Food: Nectar from deep-throated flowers including moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum), morning glory (Convolvulus), and petunia (Petunia species).
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical lowlands, open areas.
Range: Argentina north through Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean to the southeastern United States, Texas, southern New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California; strays northward in the summer to British Columbia, Colorado, Michigan, and Maine.
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: The caterpillars can be pests on sweet potatoes in the southern states.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Agrius cingulatus
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 526 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 15, 2022
Submitted by: emilydodge
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
Observation date: May 13, 2023
Submitted by: WondersofNature
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 25, 2023
Observation date: Apr 16, 2023
Submitted by: Sunshine_
Region: Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 17, 2023
Observation date: Mar 03, 2023
Submitted by: tarrcarr
Region: Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 14, 2023
Observation date: Sep 28, 2016
Submitted by: greenesnake@yah...
Region: Madison County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 12, 2023
Observation date: Sep 23, 2022
Submitted by: greenesnake@yah...
Region: Madison County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 09, 2023
Observation date: Feb 24, 2023
Submitted by: DGoboff
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Feb 15, 2023
Submitted by: Creach
Region: Maui County, Hawaii, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 16, 2023
Observation date: Feb 15, 2023
Submitted by: Creach
Region: Maui County, Hawaii, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 15, 2023
Observation date: Nov 29, 2022
Submitted by: Articfox
Region: San Jose, Costa Rica
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 01, 2023
Observation date: Nov 28, 2020
Submitted by: vjtaylor
Region: Bermuda
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 01, 2023
Observation date: Nov 01, 2016
Submitted by: mgorsky
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Jan 26, 2023
Submitted by: Creach
Region: Maui County, Hawaii, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: Oct 11, 2016
Submitted by: Melissa F
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
Observation date: Jan 27, 2023
Submitted by: Jasmyn Smit
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
Observation date: Jun 25, 2016
Submitted by: Tim Norriss
Region: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 23, 2023
Observation date: Sep 30, 2022
Submitted by: Melissacamara224
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Oct 12, 2022
Submitted by: saytothatmtn
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Oct 27, 2016
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 05, 2022
Observation date: Sep 25, 2022
Submitted by: clking
Region: Nemaha County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2022
Submitted by: mandajjrn
Region: Pike County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: JMJaskula
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Sep 13, 2022
Submitted by: TioCeBoji
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
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