Carolina Sphinx or Five-spotted Hawk Moth? - Manduca sexta - BugGuide.Net

HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Sphinginae » Sphingini » Manduca » Carolina Sphinx - Hodges#7775 (Manduca sexta)

Photo#439157

Copyright © 2010 Vicki DeLoach

Carolina Sphinx or Five-spotted Hawk Moth? - Manduca sexta

Woodstock, Cherokee County, Georgia, USA
August 7, 2010
Size: very large; 3+ inches

Two of these big moths were feeding on our 4 o'clocks last night. Is this a Carolina Sphinx or Five-spotted Hawk Moth? I'm told that the hawk moth is much less common in GA.

tag · login or register to post comments

Contributed by Vicki DeLoach on 8 August, 2010 - 4:22pm
Last updated 16 August, 2010 - 6:27pm

Moved to 7775 - Manduca sexta

Moved from Sphinx Moths.

The subterminal line of the forewing is not clear enough for comparison but the hindwing pattern is that of Manduca sexta - Carolina Sphinx. Compare HW below.

Manduca sexta

Manduca quinquemaculatus

Both photos © Jim Vargo / Moth Photographers Group

… Maury J. Heiman, 16 August, 2010 - 6:27pm

login or register to post comments

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… john and jane balaban, 12 August, 2010 - 10:49am

login or register to post comments

Hawk-Moth

I believe this is the Five-Spotted Hawk-Moth because of the five spots along its sides, unlike the Carolina Sphinx which has six. I never realized they were that close in appearance.

… Stephen Kloiber, 8 August, 2010 - 5:16pm

login or register to post comments

ID

Are you sure about the ID? I'd like to turn this in as a county record. I've seen pics of both species with 5 and 6 sets of spots so it's confusing. Mine looks more like the Carolina sphinx other than the numbers of spots. Thanks so much! Vicki

… Vicki DeLoach, 12 August, 2010 - 11:04am

login or register to post comments

Info

The info pages say that the difference as well as the names (quinquemaculata vs. sexta) are 5 vs. 6 spots. Looking at the images in the guide it seems that the 6th spot may sometimes be small or difficult to see from some angles. So it doesn't seem possible for a Five-spotted to have 6 spots, but maybe a sexta could be mis-counted as 5.

… John R. Maxwell, 12 August, 2010 - 11:41am

login or register to post comments

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version

Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact