Bug FAQPink-spotted Hawkmoth
Agrius cingulata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Also called: Pink Spotted Hawk Moth, Sweet-potato Hornworm, pink-spotted sphinx, sweetpotato hornworm
Source: Wikipedia
Its caterpillars are large, stout, and horned, feeding on sweet potato, Datura and other plants, and are known as pests of sweet potato.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from about 9.5 to 12 cm (3 ¾ to 4 ¾ inches).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on sweet potato, Datura species and other plants, both day and night.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult moths are nocturnal.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 47 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, Hawaii, Arizona, California, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where is this moth found?
It is primarily neotropical but has been reported in West Africa, Cape Verde, and occasionally in western Europe such as Portugal and the United Kingdom.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sphingidae)
White-lined SphinxHyles lineataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Eurasian Hummingbird HawkmothMacroglossum stellatarum
Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis
Carolina SphinxManduca sextaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Hummingbird ClearwingHemaris thysbeDamages trees, gardens or crops
Elephant HawkmothDeilephila elpenorSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrius_cingulata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.