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 193 - 216 of 686 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 28, 2013
Submitted by: dwmurray
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Jun 23, 2013
Observation date: Apr 26, 2013
Submitted by: Poop
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 26, 2013
Observation date: Apr 16, 2013
Submitted by: Stuart Marcus
Region: Texas, Liberty County, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 17, 2013
Observation date: Apr 09, 2013
Submitted by: kk281
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 09, 2013
Observation date: Apr 08, 2013
Submitted by: Katie_Green
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 08, 2013
Observation date: Mar 23, 1972
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 05, 2013
Observation date: Mar 28, 1972
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 05, 2013
Observation date: Aug 27, 2008
Submitted by: curtis.lehman (Paul Dennehy)
Region: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 30, 2013
Observation date: Sep 04, 2011
Submitted by: tjantscher
Region: Linn County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Jan 14, 2013
Observation date: Oct 10, 2010
Submitted by: tjantscher
Region: Story County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Jan 14, 2013
Observation date: Sep 09, 2004
Submitted by: tjantscher
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 08, 2013
Observation date: Jul 10, 2012
Submitted by: blake001@sympat...
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 12, 2012
Observation date: Jul 02, 2012
Submitted by: Jakenowatzke
Region: Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 23, 2012
Observation date: Aug 31, 2005
Submitted by: rseidler
Region: Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 14, 2012
Observation date: Sep 09, 2012
Submitted by: mitchpar3
Region: Hardy County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 14, 2012
Observation date: Sep 28, 2012
Submitted by: VtNjPat
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Oct 01, 2012
Observation date: Sep 22, 2012
Submitted by: barrymatthews
Region: Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 26, 2012
Observation date: Sep 19, 2012
Submitted by: momandkenzie
Region: Cass County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Sep 24, 2012
Observation date: Jun 12, 2012
Submitted by: IsabellaJohns
Region: Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Sep 09, 2012
Observation date: Sep 06, 2012
Submitted by: amachr@juno.com
Region: Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 08, 2012
Observation date: Sep 07, 2012
Submitted by: JasonPike1980
Region: Texas, Rusk County, United States
Verified by: JasonPike1980
Verified date: Sep 07, 2012
Observation date: Sep 01, 2012
Submitted by: jpanjer
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 03, 2012
Observation date: Jul 27, 2012
Submitted by: darkhours
Region: Union County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 29, 2012
Observation date: Aug 02, 2012
Submitted by: gladyslewis
Region: Loudoun County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 28, 2012
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