Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFSphingidae Members:
Manduca Members:
22 NC Records

Manduca quinquemaculatus (Haworth, 1803) - Five-spotted Hawk Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Bombycoidea Family: SphingidaeSubfamily: SphinginaeTribe: SphinginiP3 Number: 890091.00 MONA Number: 7776.00
Comments: A large Neotropical genus (63 species) of which 4 occur in North Carolina. This is our second most common of 4 species.
Species Status: Barcodes indicate that Manduca quinquemaculatus is a single, well-defined species in our area.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical 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; sexes similar. Less common than M. sexta with which it is frequently confused. It is grayer with a crisp, distinct pattern whereas the pattern in M. sexta is browner and smudged. Note the parallel median lines with gray filling in the hindwing. These lines are largely fused into a single broad line in M. sexta.
Wingspan: 9 - 13.5 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 white lateral stripes similar to the larvae of M. sexta. Distinguishable from sexta by its possession of a series of broken pale stripes below the spiracles, forming a series of v-shaped marks together with the lateral stripes (Forbes, 1948).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably occurs statewide
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)

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