Bug FAQMuscosa Sphinx
Manduca muscosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
The Muscosa Sphinx has a wingspan of about 10 to 12.6 cm. It lives from southern and western Arizona through Mexico and Central America down to Costa Rica. Adults appear once a year, flying in mid-July to early August in Arizona and from May to November in Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It resembles Manduca sesquiplex but has a shorter forewing, darker olive-toned body and wings, and fainter hindwing bands.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wings measure roughly 100 to 126 mm across.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits tropical and subtropical lowlands, premontane forests, and oak woodlands.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on plants such as Verbesina gigantea, Lasianthaea fruticosa, Eupatorium albicaule, Viguiera dentata, Lantana camara, sunflower and Jacaranda caroba.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In Costa Rica adults are active from May through November.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with Manduca sesquiplex, but the latter has a more elongated forewing and brighter coloration.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona.
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
How can I tell Muscosa Sphinx apart from similar moths?
Look for a shorter forewing, darker olive body and wings, and less distinct pale bands on the hindwing.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult Muscosa Sphinx moths active?
In Arizona they fly from mid-July to early August, while in Costa Rica they are seen from May to November.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on a variety of plants including Verbesina gigantea, Lasianthaea fruticosa, Eupatorium albicaule, Viguiera dentata, Lantana camara, sunflower and Jacaranda caroba.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Muscosa Sphinx found?
It ranges from southern and western Arizona through Mexico and Central America down to Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sphingidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manduca_muscosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.