Manduca sexta sexta
man-DOO-kuhmm SEX-tuh
Butler, 1877
The Carolina Sphinx

Manduca sexta on Datura wrightii, San Benito County, California,
September 2, 2008, courtesy of Eric Brunnemann, via Paul G. Johnson.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802
Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, [1802]
Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802
Genus: Manduca Hubner, 1807 ...........
Species: sexta sexta Butler, 1877

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On September 2, 2008, Paul G. Johnson writes, "I have a confirmation of one of your suspected species for San Benito County, plus some host plant information. I checked the online Lep host database and it doesn't look like I have anything new, but I thought you might be interested nonetheless.

"For years I've been asking locals to bring me hornworms from their gardens, with no success. Last year that all changed. I got them on my tomatoes, and two other folks brought me some from their tomatoes and peppers. And ironically, just after that I found a large 5th instar larva walking across a road mid-day. This was nowhere near human habitation, and the only solanaceous plant I could find in the area was Datura wrightii.

"I just recieved the attached photo from Eric Brunnemann. In his yard in San Benito Co. he has Manduca sexta larvae feeding on Datura wrightii.

"Here is the list of plants for which I have records of this species feeding in this county: Datura wrightii, tomato, jalapeno pepper and serrano pepper."

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