Five-spotted hawk moth

Description:

This is actually a photo of a Five-spotted Hawkmoth (Manduca quinquemaculata), a closely related species of the Carolina sphinx moth (Manduca sexta). The caterpillar is more commonly known as the tomato hornworm, in contrast to that of the Carolina sphinx commonly known as the tobacco hornworm. If you've ever seen a large 3-4 inch green caterpillar foraging on your garden tomato plants in DuPage, it is likely one of these two species.

Habitat:

Upland oak forest.