Hornworm Rustic Sphinx Moth

Correction september 25 2017.

Hornworm rustic sphinx moth.

Larvae develop on a variety of plants but seldom do they significantly damage those plants considered economically important. Manduca quinquemaculata the five spotted hawkmoth is a brown and gray hawk moth of the family sphingidae the caterpillar often referred to as the tomato hornworm can be a major pest in gardens. Commonly known as the carolina sphinx moth and the tobacco hawk moth as adults and the tobacco hornworm and the goliath worm as larvae it is closely related to and often confused with the very similar tomato. Contact individual photographers for permission to use for any purpose.

Sphinx moths use a wide range of larval host plants including both woody and nonwoody species. The rustic sphinx manduca rustica is a moth in the same genus as the tobaccofly tobacco hornworm and the tomato hornworm these moths are moderately large wing span from 3 1 2 to almost 6 inches with heavy bodies and are usually nocturnal feeding late at night. The species was first described by carl linnaeus in his 1763 centuria insectorum. Rustic sphinx moths are mottled and zig zagged with black and white or very dark brown and white markings except for three.

The features that lead us to believe your caterpillar is a rustic sphinx are the numerous white nodules on top of the. Manduca sexta is a moth of the family sphingidae present through much of the american continent. The tomato hornworm turns into the five spotted hawk or sphinx moth not the beautiful hummingbird moth shown in the photo. It looks to us like a rustic sphinx manduca rustica and bill oehlke s excellent website has photos of the caterpillar as well as the other stages of metamorphosis.

If everyone who uses this resource gives a small amount we could cover our ongoing costs develop new features and upgrade the system. Dear basil lady this is the caterpillar of a sphinx moth in the family sphingidae known as a hornworm. Rustic sphinx manduca rustica fabricius 1775 family. They get their name from a dark projection on their posterior end and their use of tomatoes as host plants tomato hornworms are closely related to and sometimes confused with the tobacco hornworm.

The moths in this family are called hawkmoths and the caterpillars are often referred to as hornworms due to the horn shaped protuberance found on their posterior end wagner 2010. Each moth species has its own suite of suitable host plants for example some eat only members of the tobacco tomato potato family. Others must eat the leaves of rose family trees such as plum cherry and apple. 890092 00 7778 manduca rustica rustic sphinx moth fabricius 1775 photographs are the copyrighted property of each photographer listed.

The whitelined sphinx hyles lineata is the most common hornworm of colorado and by far the most commonly encountered hummingbird moth.