Bug FAQFlorestan Sphinx
Manduca florestan · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
The Florestan sphinx moth has a wingspan of roughly 10 to 11 cm (99 to 110 mm). It is native to the southwestern United States and ranges through Mexico, Central America and much of South America. Adults feed on flower nectar, while the caterpillars eat a wide variety of host plants such as Tecoma and Citharexylum species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The Florestan sphinx, scientific name Manduca florestan, belongs to the hawk-moth family Sphingidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures about 99 to 110 mm, roughly 10 to 11 cm across.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits mountainous regions from southern Arizona and New Mexico down through Central America into South America as far as Brazil and Paraguay.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult moths drink nectar from many flowers, for example Plumeria rubra in Costa Rica. Caterpillars feed on a variety of plants such as Tecoma, Citharexylum, Stachytarpheta frantzii, Callicarpa acuminata and several others.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In the United States there is a single generation, with adults on the wing from late June to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the US Southwest and extends through Mexico, Central America and much of South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on many host plants, including Tecoma, Citharexylum, Stachytarpheta frantzii and several others.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult Florestan sphinx moths in the United States?
Adults are present from late June through early August, representing a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Florestan sphinx found?
It occurs from the mountains of southern Arizona and New Mexico, through Mexico and Central America, and into many South American countries.
Source: Wikipedia
What do adult Florestan sphinx moths feed on?
Adults sip nectar from a range of flowers, such as Plumeria rubra in Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sphingidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manduca_florestan
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.