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 73 - 96 of 684 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 11, 2019
Submitted by: David Jones
Region: Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 15, 2019
Observation date: Aug 02, 2019
Submitted by: Tomcat521
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 11, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: Sunsetlife
Region: Dallam County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 01, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: Margaret and I 1996
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 26, 2019
Observation date: Apr 25, 2019
Submitted by: hmclin
Region: Pinal County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 23, 2019
Observation date: Aug 17, 2019
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 18, 2019
Observation date: Aug 17, 2019
Submitted by: Kbaldino
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 17, 2019
Observation date: Sep 13, 2018
Submitted by: nesig
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Aug 15, 2019
Observation date: Apr 26, 2019
Submitted by: dc_marfa
Region: Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 02, 2019
Observation date: Apr 07, 2019
Submitted by: TommyPePe
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 24, 2019
Observation date: Apr 12, 2019
Submitted by: Amandalbrothers
Region: Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 23, 2019
Observation date: Mar 25, 2019
Submitted by: whbauer
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 26, 2019
Observation date: Jul 23, 2018
Submitted by: sgguthart
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Oct 19, 2018
Observation date: Oct 13, 2018
Submitted by: Rsames
Region: Texas, Webb County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 14, 2018
Observation date: Sep 21, 2018
Submitted by: beautifuljoe1313
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 10, 2018
Observation date: Aug 29, 2018
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Sep 11, 2018
Observation date: Aug 13, 2018
Submitted by: Jacksenzig
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: BGilley
Verified date: Aug 22, 2018
Observation date: Jul 29, 2018
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Aug 06, 2018
Observation date: Jun 18, 2018
Submitted by: Onthehill
Region: Fremont County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jun 30, 2018
Observation date: Mar 27, 2018
Submitted by: whbauer
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 27, 2018
Observation date: Aug 30, 2017
Submitted by: Quivira NWR
Region: Stafford County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 10, 2018
Observation date: Oct 21, 2017
Submitted by: emetz
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 21, 2017
Observation date: Jun 12, 2017
Submitted by: sedges
Region: Georgia, Stephens County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 02, 2017
Observation date: Jul 31, 2014
Submitted by: GCSnelling
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Aug 28, 2017
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