Five-spotted hawkmoth
Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth, 1803)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Identification: Abdomen usually has 5 but sometimes 6 pairs of yellow bands. Forewing is blurry brown and gray. Hindwing is banded with brown and white and has 2 well-separated median zigzag bands. Forewing fringes are grayish, not distinctly spotted with white.
Wing Span: 3 9/16 - 5 5/16 inches (9 - 13.5 cm).
Life History: Adults fly at dusk, and females deposit eggs singly on the upper surface of host plant leaves. The caterpillars are called Tomato Hornworms and each has a black horn at the end of the abdomen. Caterpillars have huge appetites for leaves and fruits and can defoliate plants quickly. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate and overwinter in soil burrows.
Flight: . Several broods from February-October in Florida and from April-October in Louisiana, at least two broods from May-October in the rest 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), petunia (Petunia hybrida), bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis), tobacco (Nicotiana), and phlox (Phlox).
Habitat: Tobacco fields, vegetable gardens, and wherever host plants are found.
Range: Mexico north throughout most of the United States and occasionally southern Canada, but it is uncommon in the Southeast and the Great Plains.
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 tomato and other plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae).
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 682 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 05, 2024
Submitted by: L.Hale
Region: Texas, Lubbock County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 13, 2024
Submitted by: Wilsonaz343
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 02, 2024
Submitted by: chrisluvsanimals
Region: Morgan County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 03, 2024
Observation date: Jul 19, 2024
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harper County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 20, 2024
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: SteveEK
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 24, 2023
Observation date: Sep 14, 2023
Submitted by: jdnewmanme
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 14, 2023
Observation date: Aug 05, 2018
Submitted by: Criley91
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2023
Observation date: Aug 21, 2021
Submitted by: dsmeal
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2014
Submitted by: jim.odonater
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 02, 2008
Submitted by: ggarcia
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2017
Submitted by: BEE CEE
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2017
Submitted by: JudyHNM
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 02, 2008
Submitted by: ggarcia
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2022
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2022
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: Junipermoose
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: Kenneth Cox
Region: Catron County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 13, 2023
Submitted by: Ralph313
Region: Carroll County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 15, 2023
Observation date: Aug 13, 2023
Submitted by: Ralph313
Region: Carroll County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 15, 2023
Observation date: Sep 05, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 10, 2023
Observation date: Jun 16, 2023
Submitted by: klebo
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Jul 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2023
Submitted by: meansckeon
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: cdfrick
Region: Gove County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
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