Tomato Hornworm Moth (Five-spotted Hawkmoth)

The Five-spotted Hawkmoth, commonly called the Tomato Hornworm Moth for its well-known larval stage, is a large member of the sphinx moth family Sphingidae, found throughout much of North America. Its heavy, streamlined body and long, narrow wings are typical of the hawkmoths, a group known for powerful, fast flight and hovering nectar-feeding behavior.

The adult moth is far less familiar to most people than its caterpillar, the tomato hornworm, a large green larva with white diagonal stripes and a curved posterior horn that feeds on the foliage of tomato and related nightshade plants, making it one of the most recognizable garden caterpillars in North America.

As adults, these moths are strong, fast fliers active at dusk and after dark, hovering at flowers in a manner reminiscent of a hummingbird, and playing an ecological role as pollinators of deep, tubular flowers that their long proboscis can access.

• Body is robust and spindle-shaped, mottled grey and brown, with five pairs of yellow-orange spots running down each side of the abdomen (a key distinguishing feature from the similar tobacco hornworm moth, which has six spots).
• Forewings are long, narrow, and mottled in grey, brown, and black with zigzag lines; hindwings show alternating dark and pale bands.
• Wingspan is large for a moth, often reaching 4 to 5 inches, with a heavy, fast, direct flight.
• The caterpillar (tomato hornworm) is bright green with eight V-shaped white stripes along each side and a black or dark posterior horn.
• Similar tobacco hornworm caterpillars have diagonal (not V-shaped) white stripes and a red horn; the adult moths are distinguished by spot count on the abdomen.

Found across most of North America, this species inhabits gardens, farmland, and open areas wherever nightshade family plants such as tomato, potato, pepper, and various wild relatives grow. Adults are most active at dusk and into the night during the warmer months of late spring through summer.

The caterpillar stage is most commonly encountered by home gardeners on tomato and pepper plants, while adults are more often seen at dusk visiting flowers or occasionally at porch lights.

Adults are powerful, fast fliers active primarily at dusk and after dark, hovering in front of deep tubular flowers such as evening primrose, petunia, and moonflower to feed on nectar with a very long proboscis, functioning as important pollinators for such flowers.

Caterpillars are solitary leaf-feeders, consuming large quantities of foliage from tomato, pepper, potato, and other nightshade family plants, and their green coloring and vertical resting posture provide effective camouflage among the host plant's stems and leaves.

Eggs are laid singly on the undersides of host plant leaves and hatch into small green caterpillars that grow rapidly through five instars, developing the characteristic white V-shaped stripes and posterior horn as they mature, reaching up to 4 inches in length.

Mature caterpillars burrow into the soil to pupate, forming a dark brown pupa with a distinctive curved, jug-handle-shaped case enclosing the developing proboscis. The species overwinters as a pupa in the soil, with adults emerging the following growing season; one to two generations can occur per year depending on climate.