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 97 - 120 of 1250 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 14, 2017
Submitted by: KyleTheLivingCr...
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 31, 2017
Submitted by: Dermalossicle
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: Mydogholly
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2018
Submitted by: Jorobfly
Region: York County, Maine, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 23, 2016
Submitted by: rnv82
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Oct 10, 2019
Submitted by: Whitm2sj
Region: Rockingham County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Sep 01, 2011
Submitted by: Ilse Gebhard
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2020
Submitted by: vmaglio
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2011
Submitted by: acdasb
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2014
Submitted by: Jcongdon@stac.edu
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 26, 2022
Observation date: Oct 04, 2011
Submitted by: ronronron
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 17, 2018
Submitted by: Woody30015
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2018
Submitted by: melissadrake
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2016
Submitted by: Saveur
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 17, 2021
Observation date: Aug 18, 2015
Submitted by: epavloff
Region: Ulster County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2016
Submitted by: Kylie Tigard
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2019
Submitted by: a.d.levine
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2018
Submitted by: Ib2stone
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 12, 2018
Submitted by: vkamna
Region: Queens County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 17, 2019
Submitted by: Lagamboa
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 15, 2021
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: Charicola
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 14, 2021
Observation date: Sep 20, 2020
Submitted by: drakdamen
Region: Sacramento County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 14, 2021
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