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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Sphinginae » Sphingini » Manduca » Five-spotted Hawk Moth - Hodges#7776 (Manduca quinquemaculatus)
Photo#77461
Mystery Hornworm Eating Tomatoes - Manduca quinquemaculatus
Copyright © 2006 Pamela Martin

Mystery Hornworm Eating Tomatoes - Manduca quinquemaculatus
Thomasburg, Hastings, Ontario, Canada
August 24, 2003
Size: 8-10 centimetres
This is a photo I've had around since 2003, planning to try to identify the caterpillar. Searches have turned up nothing definitive. It's so much like a tomato hornworm except for the colour I wonder if it is a "dark morph" of Manduca quinquemaculata.

The caterpillar was found on garden tomato plants, munching away.
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Contributed by Pamela Martin on 16 September, 2006 - 9:30am
Last updated 23 September, 2006 - 10:51am

Yes, this is definitely a Tomato hornworm
More info in the guide, but those V-shaped stripes distinguish it. Many sphinx moth larvae have two (or more) color forms. Here's another dark one from the guide:

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 16 September, 2006 - 9:49am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
Wow, that was fast! Thanks very much for the id.
… Pamela Martin, 16 September, 2006 - 10:23am login or register to post comments

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