Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Sphingidae Members:	Manduca Members:	109 NC Records

Manduca sexta (Linnaeus, 1763) - Carolina Sphinx

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Bombycoidea

Family:
Sphingidae

Subfamily:
Sphinginae

Tribe:
Sphingini

P3 Number:
890090

MONA Number:
7775.00

Other Common Names:
Tobacco Hornworm, Six-spotted Sphinx Moth

Comments: A large Neotropical genus (63 species) of which 10 occur in the United States and 4 in North Carolina. This is our most well-known species.

Species Status: Barcodes indicate that Manduca sexta is a single, well-defined species in our area.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Hodges (1971); Tuttle (2007)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner (2005); Tuttle (2007)

Adult Markings: A large, grayish-brown sphinx moth. Manduca sexta is very similar and often confused with M. quinquemaculatus which is grayer but similar in size and feeds on many of the same plants. M. sexta is browner and in the hindwing there is a median thick black line formed by the merger of two lines. In M. quinquemaculatus these two black lines are separate for their entire length with gray between them. Additionally, M. sexta has a series of small white dots at the base of the forewing which are absent in M. quinquemaculatus. The overall pattern is smudged in M. sexta but distinct, crisp and quite elegant in M. quinquemaculatus.

Wingspan: 10.5 - 12 cm (Covell, 1984)

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: Larvae are green or brown and have seven oblique white lines along their sides, along with a reddish horn (Wagner, 2005). Pupation occurs underground.

Larvae ID Requirements: Unmistakable and widely known.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: This species occurs across the state, but is rare in the high mountains.

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Flight Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: Probably two principal broods.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: This species occurs in open agricultural areas throughout the state. The larvae are known as tobacco hornworms and are a common pest of tomatoes in home gardens and tobacco in agricultural fields.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on most members of the Solanaceae but most often on tobacco and tomato; other reported hosts include ground-cherry (Physalis) and Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) (Wagner, 2005). In North Carolina, most of our records are from garden tomatoes, but we also have records from tobacco, garden peppers, Devil's-trumpet (Datura innoxia), and eggplant. - View

Observation Methods: Adults are active from dusk onward at flowers and are attracted to strong lights, such as mercury-vapor lamps, but come only in small numbers to 15 watt UV lights. They do not come to baits.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Fields, Gardens, and Ruderal Habitats

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: Found primarily in agricultural areas and is not of conservation concern in North Carolina

Photo Gallery for Manduca sexta - Carolina Sphinx

77 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-07-04 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2024-09-16 Davidson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-12 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-06 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-03 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Kai Milroy on 2024-09-03 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2024-08-20 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2024-08-20 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-08-19 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-07-17 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Morgan Freese on 2024-07-08 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Morgan Freese on 2023-10-08 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-03 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-03 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Rob Van Epps on 2023-08-14 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-08-08 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-08-08 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dawn-Michelle Oliver on 2023-07-30 Caswell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-07-24 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-07-18 Polk Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-07-18 Polk Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-07-18 Polk Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-09-13 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-09-08 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-09-08 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-09-01 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2022-07-20 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-11 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-04 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-08-12 Wake Co. Comment: