Tobacco Hornworm/Carolina Sphinx Moth Larvae

Description:

Large (up to 80mm) green caterpillar with seven diagonal white lines running down sides. Lines distinguish from the similar "Tomato Hornworm" which has eight v-shaped markings instead. "Horn" is an antenna-like body extension located at the tail-end of the caterpillar.

Habitat:

Caterpillars frequent solanaceous (nightshade family) plants, including: tobacco, tomato, potato, and eggplant. The caterpillars will eat voraciously, fully de-leafing plants.

Notes:

These caterpillars are considered garden pests, but they are actually quite important for entomologists and biologists as insect models. "Studies on M. sexta over the past 40+ years have included many areas of insect biology, including neurobiology, endocrine regulation, chemical sensing (chemoreception, sexual and feeding attractants), behavior, development, metamorphosis, immunology, antimicrobial defenses, locomotion and flight, digestive and gut physiology, toxicology, parasitism, microbial interactions, pathology, and plant-insect interactions. As such, M. sexta represents a powerful, well developed, and tractable experimental system." (Source: Workspace@NAL, USDA link provided)