Night-Flying Hawkmoths

Large hawkmoths the size of hummingbirds pollinate nocturnal blossoms of
jimsonweed (Datura) and hard-shelled gourds (Lagenaria). The moths insert
their long proboscis into the floral tube to reach the sweet nectar deep inside,
thereby pollinating these remarkable flowers during the hours of darkness.

Large Hawkmoth With Its Proboscis Extended
Hawkmoth Visiting A Datura Blossom At Night
Hawkmoth Larva Resting On A Thornapple

An adult hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) with its 4 inch (10 cm) proboscis fully extended. Note the 6 orange spots on the moth's abdomen. A related species (M. quinquemaculata) has 5 orange spots.

An adult hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) with its 4 inch (10 cm) proboscis retracted into a coil.

Dorsal view of (Manduca sexta) with its wings fully extended. Note the 6 orange spots on the moth's abdomen. The 6th spot is barely discernible. A related species (M. quinquemaculata) has 5 orange spots.

A hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) with its long, slender proboscis extended near the trumpet-shaped blossom of jimsonweed (Datura wrightii). The fragrant, showy flowers are one of the largest native blossoms in the American southwest, and attract several species of hawkmoths during the hours of darkness.

Camouflaged larva of hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) on the peculiar, spiny fruit of jimsonweed or thornapple (Datura wrightii). This well-known larva is also known as "tomato hornworm" and has a bad reputation among gardeners because of its voracious appetite for tomato plants.

The distinctive pupa of (Manduca sexta). Unlike other species of moths, the Manduca larva does not spin a cocoon. Probably every tomato gardener has unearthed the large, carmel-colored pupa with its peculiar "jug handle" appendage, which is actually a case for the developing proboscis of the adult moth.

An adult (Manduca sexta) emerging from the ground. During its metamorphosis below the ground, it transformed from a caterpillar (larva) into a pupa, and finally into an adult moth. The adult moth crawls out of the pupal case and pushes out of the soil.

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