Manduca quinquemaculata

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Manduca quinquemaculata
Manduca quinquemaculata MHNT CUT 2010 0 116 Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill Co. Penna male dorsal.jpg
Male - dorsal view
Manduca quinquemaculata MHNT CUT 2010 0 116 Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill Co. Penna male ventral.jpg
Male - ventral view
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Manduca
Species:
M. quinquemaculata
Binomial name
Manduca quinquemaculata
(Haworth, 1803) [1]
Synonyms
  • Sphinx 5-maculatusHaworth, 1803
  • Phlegethontius quinquemaculatus
  • Protoparce quinquemaculatus
  • Phlegethontius celeusHübner, 1821
  • Protoparce quinquemaculatus wirtiSchaus, 1927

Manduca quinquemaculata, the five-spotted hawkmoth, is a brown and gray hawk moth of the family Sphingidae. The caterpillar, often referred to as the tomato hornworm, can be a major pest in gardens; they get their name from a dark projection on their posterior end and their use of tomatoes as host plants. Tomato hornworms are closely related to (and sometimes confused with) the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta. This confusion arises because caterpillars of both species have similar morphologies and feed on the foliage of various plants from the family Solanaceae, so either species can be found on tobacco or tomato leaves. Because of this, the plant on which the caterpillar is found does not indicate its species.

Contents

Range

M. quinquemaculata is found across North America and Australia. The tobacco hornworm, a close relative of the tomato hornworm, tends to dominate the south while tomato hornworms are more prevalent in the northern United States. [2]

Food plants

Larva

Tomato hornworms are known to eat various plants from the family Solanaceae, commonly feeding on tomato, eggplant, pepper, tobacco, moonflowers and potato. Females prefer to oviposit on young leaves near the stem of host plants, and early instar caterpillars can often be found here during the day. [3] In the evening or early morning when sunlight is less direct, the caterpillars will feed on more distal leaves. [4]

Adult

Adult diet

Adults feed on nectar from flowering plants including Datura meteloides, [5] Oenothera caespitosa, and Mirabilis multiflora. Most of the food plants they target have large, fragrant white flowers. [6]

Interactions with host plants

Hawkmoths, including M. quinquemaculata, are the primary pollinators of D. meteloides. The length of the moth’s proboscis (around 10 cm), which is an elongated, tubular mouthpart used for sucking and feeding, is well-suited for retrieving nectar from the flowers. Aside from being a host plant for M. quinquemaculata, D. meteloides has also been used by humans for its psychoactive effects. D. meteloides contains tropane alkaloids, which are present throughout the plant including in the flowers. [5] These alkaloids have an intoxicating effects on the moth, which displays erratic flight patterns as well as uncoordinated, and often unsuccessful, landing attempts after consuming the nectar. Despite the impairment the nectar causes, the moths have been observed returning to the flowers and consuming more nectar. It has been hypothesized that the “spiked” nectar offers the moths reward beyond just nutrients. [5]

Both Mirabilis multiflora and Oenothera caespitosa are also dependent on hawkmoths for pollination. M. quinquemaculata has been found to feed from Oenothera caespitosa first and only later to visit Mirabilis multiflora, indicating a preference for the former. [6]

Life cycle

Oviposition

Females lay eggs singly on the surface of host plant leaves in late spring. Larvae hatch after approximately one week. [7] The female decides where to lay eggs based on an assessment of the risk of predation her offspring will face. On the tobacco plant Nicotiana attenuata , young leaves close to a plant's stem are more protected from predators and larvae that grow there gain more mass than larvae grown elsewhere on the plant; females prefer to oviposit, or lay their eggs, on these leaves. [3] Eggs are large and range in color from pale green to off-white. [4]

Larva

M. quinquemaculata larvae are large green caterpillars reaching a length of up to 10 cm (3.9 inches) when fully grown. [7] The caterpillars have a dark, pointed projection on their rear end that earns them the name "hornworm". [7] Although the tomato hornworm, M. quinquemaculata, can be confused with the tobacco hornworm, M. sexta, the larvae of these species can be distinguished by their lateral markings: tomato hornworms have eight V-shaped white markings with no borders and dark blue or black horns, while tobacco hornworms have seven white diagonal lines with a black border and red horns. [8]

Caterpillars hatch in late spring to early summer. They develop through five instars to reach maturity. [3] [7] In warmer climates where the first generation emerges earlier in the year, two generations of caterpillars can coexist in a single summer. [4] Once fully grown, caterpillars fall from their host plants to pupate. [7]

Pupa

Caterpillars pupate in early fall, which means they enter a stage of their life cycle where they become a pupa and undergo transformation into a moth. [7] After pupation, M. quinquemaculata overwinter in the soil near their host plants, with adults emerging the following summer. [9] [4]

Adults

Adults are large, with a wingspan of up to 13 centimetres (5.1 in). [7] The wings of the moth are brown and gray with large mottled front wings and smaller hindwings with light and dark zig-zag patterned bands. The abdomens are brown and white with a row of five yellow spots down each side, giving them the name "five-spotted hawkmoth." [10] [4] The moths of M. quinquemaculata and M. sexta can be distinguished by the number of spots on their abdomens. [8]

Shortly after adults emerge from the soil, they mate and females lay their eggs on host plants, renewing the life cycle. [7]

Relationship with M. sexta

M. quinquemaculata and M. sexta are both large hawkmoths of the genus Manduca. The two species have similar appearances in both larvae and adults and share common food sources, including tobacco. [4] [11] Past research, observing that the two species are similar, referred to the two as sister species. However, a recent phylogenetic analysis from Kawahara et al. (2013) found that the two species, though closely related, are not sister species. The authors tracked the ancestral origin of both species to Central America, where the two species diverged from one another. [12]

Pest control

Tomato hornworm caught feeding on tomato plant Tomato hornworm in garden.jpg
Tomato hornworm caught feeding on tomato plant

Because the larvae are pests of crop plants such as tomatoes and tobacco, biological control agents and traps have been used to control their populations. Gardeners whose tomato plants are predated by the tomato hornworm pick the caterpillars off of their plants. [4] The use of a UV blacklight at night helps to find them, as they glow bright green. (see photo below). Among other examples, the larvae can also be eaten by most common bird species.[ citation needed ]

Parasites

The parasitoid wasp Trichogramma attacks M. quinquemaculata eggs. The larvae of the wasp develop in the egg, preventing the development of the caterpillar larvae. Trichogramma is a natural enemy of M. quinquemaculata and has also been used as a biological control agent by humans. [13]

closely related tobacco hornworm parasitized by braconid wasp Tobacco Hornworm Parasitized by Braconid Wasp.jpg
closely related tobacco hornworm parasitized by braconid wasp

A second parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata of the family Braconidae, also kills M. quinquemaculata. Adult females lay their eggs inside the skin of the hornworm caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae use the organs and tissues of the caterpillar as food sources before burrowing out of the skin and pupating on the back and sides of the caterpillar. Once the wasps have emerged from their cocoons, the weakened caterpillar dies. Like the parasitoid wasp mentioned above, these wasps have also been suggested as a means of biological control of the tomato hornworm. [14] [15]

Traps

Adult M. quinquemaculata are most active in flight after dark. [10] Early studies found that the moths are attracted to blacklight, which is used as a lure in some traps. Although the traps can be used for research and the moths can be released after capture, traps like these have been suggested as a means of population control. However, one study found that the reduction in population was not strong enough to significantly impact population size. [16]

Images

Related Research Articles

<i>Nicotiana</i> Genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae

Nicotiana is a genus of herbaceous plants and shrubs in the family Solanaceae, that is indigenous to the Americas, Australia, Southwestern Africa and the South Pacific. Various Nicotiana species, commonly referred to as tobacco plants, are cultivated as ornamental garden plants. N. tabacum is grown worldwide for the cultivation of tobacco leaves used for manufacturing and producing tobacco products, including cigars, cigarillos, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco, snuff, and snus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sphingidae</span> Family of insects

The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as hornworms. Iit includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but species are found in every region. They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their agile and sustained flying ability, similar enough to that of hummingbirds as to be reliably mistaken for them. Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight. The family was named by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1802.

<i>Manduca sexta</i> Species of moth

Manduca sexta is a moth of the family Sphingidae present through much of the Americas. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1763 Centuria Insectorum.

<i>Deilephila elpenor</i> Species of moth

Deilephila elpenor, the elephant hawk moth or large elephant hawk moth, is a moth in the family Sphingidae. Its common name is derived from the caterpillar's resemblance to an elephant's trunk. It is most common in central Europe and is distributed throughout the Palearctic region. It has also been introduced in British Columbia, Canada. Its distinct olive and pink colouring makes it one of the most recognisable moths in its range. However, it is quite easy to confuse the elephant hawk moth with the small elephant hawk moth, a closely related species that also shares the characteristic colours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braconidae</span> Family of wasps

The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis estimated a total between 30,000 and 50,000, and another provided a narrower estimate between 42,000 and 43,000 species.

<i>Manduca</i> Genus of moths

Manduca is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae, the hawkmoths. The genus is used as a model in the biological sciences. The tobacco hornworm and the tomato hornworm in particular have been well studied. The genus was erected by Jacob Hübner in 1807.

<i>Agrius cingulata</i> Species of moth

Agrius cingulata, the pink-spotted hawkmoth or sweetpotato hornworm, is a moth in the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.

<i>Agrius convolvuli</i> Species of moth

Agrius convolvuli, the convolvulus hawk-moth, is a large hawk-moth. It is common throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, partly as a migrant. In New Zealand, it is also known as the kumara moth, and in the Māori language as hīhue.

<i>Daphnis nerii</i> Species of moth

Daphnis nerii, the oleander hawk-moth or army green moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

<i>Theretra oldenlandiae</i> Species of moth

Theretra oldenlandiae, the impatiens hawkmoth, taro hornworm or white-banded hunter hawkmoth, is a member of the family Sphingidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitoid wasp</span> Group of wasps

Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps (Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, sooner or later causing the death of these hosts. Different species specialise in hosts from different insect orders, most often Lepidoptera, though some select beetles, flies, or bugs; the spider wasps (Pompilidae) exclusively attack spiders.

<i>Hyles lineata</i> Species of moth

Hyles lineata, also known as the white-lined sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. They are sometimes known as a "hummingbird moth" because of their bird-like size and flight patterns.

<i>Manduca blackburni</i> Species of moth

Manduca blackburni, the Hawaiian tomato hornworm, Hawaiian tobacco hornworm or Blackburn's sphinx moth, is a moth in the family Sphingidae.

<i>Acherontia lachesis</i> Species of moth

Acherontia lachesis, the greater death's head hawkmoth or bee robber, is a large sphingid moth found in India, Sri Lanka and much of the Oriental region. It is one of the three species of death's-head hawkmoth genus, Acherontia. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1798. It is nocturnal and very fond of honey; they can mimic the scent of honey bees so that they can enter a hive unharmed to get honey. Their tongue, which is stout and very strong, enables them to pierce the wax cells and suck the honey out. This species occurs throughout almost the entire Oriental region, from India, Pakistan and Nepal to the Philippines, and from southern Japan and the southern Russian Far East to Indonesia, where it attacks colonies of several different honey bee species. It has recently become established on the Hawaiian Islands.

<i>Oenothera caespitosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Oenothera caespitosa, known commonly as tufted evening primrose, desert evening primrose, rock-rose evening primrose, or fragrant evening primrose, is a perennial plant of the genus Oenothera native to much of western and central North America, in habitats such as talus slopes and sandy plains. It is normally night-blooming.

<i>Cotesia congregata</i> Species of wasp

Cotesia congregata is a parasitoid wasp of the genus Cotesia. The genus is particularly noted for its use of polydnaviruses. Parasitoids are distinct from true parasites in that a parasitoid will ultimately kill its host or otherwise sterilize it.

<i>Helicoverpa punctigera</i> Species of moth

Helicoverpa punctigera, the native budworm, Australian bollworm or Chloridea marmada, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. This species is native to Australia. H. punctigera are capable of long-distance migration from their inland Australian habitat towards coastal regions and are an occasional migrant to New Zealand.

<i>Mirabilis multiflora</i> Western North American species of four-oclock

Mirabilis multiflora is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common names Colorado four-o'clock or desert four-o'clock that is native to the southwestern United States from California to Colorado and Texas, as well as far northern Mexico, where it grows in mostly dry habitat types in a number of regions.

<i>Nicotiana attenuata</i> Species of flowering plant

Nicotiana attenuata is a species of wild tobacco known by the common name coyote tobacco. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Texas and northern Mexico, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a glandular and sparsely hairy annual herb exceeding a meter in maximum height. The leaf blades may be 10 centimetres (4 in) long, the lower ones oval and the upper narrower in shape, and are borne on petioles. The inflorescence bears several flowers with pinkish or greenish white tubular throats 2 to 3 centimetres long, their bases enclosed in pointed sepals. The flower face has five mostly white lobes. The fruit is a capsule about 1 centimetre long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Beckage</span> American entomologist

Nancy Elizabeth Beckage was an American entomologist known for her work on host–parasitoid interactions. She held professorships in entomology and in cell biology and neuroscience at the University of California, Riverside.

References

  1. ↑ "Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory: Manduca quinquemaculatus". sphingidae.myspecies.info. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  2. ↑ Whitney, Cranshaw (2017). Garden insects of North America : the ultimate guide to backyard bugs. Shetlar, David J. (Second ed.). Princeton, New Jersey. ISBN   9780691167442. OCLC   1002303962.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. 1 2 3 Kessler, Andre; Baldwin, Ian T. (2002). "Manduca quinquemaculata's Optimization of Intra-Plant Oviposition to Predation, Food Quality, and Thermal Constraints". Ecology. 83 (8): 2346–2354. doi: 10.2307/3072065 . JSTOR   3072065.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cranshaw, W. S. "Hornworms and "Hummingbird" Moths - 5.517 - Extension". Extension. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  5. 1 2 3 Grant, Verne; Grant, Karen A. (1983). "Behavior of Hawkmoths on Flowers of Datura meteloides". Botanical Gazette. 144 (2): 280–284. doi:10.1086/337374. S2CID   84981176.
  6. 1 2 Hodges, Scott A. "Some preliminary Observations on Hawkmoth Pollination of Oenothera caespitosa and Mirabilis multiflora": 244–249.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wold-Burnkess, S. J.; Hutchison, W. D. (2015-06-09). "Tomato Hornworm". VegEdge. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  8. 1 2 Villanueva, Raul (June 1998). "Tobacco Hornworm" . Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  9. ↑ Banham, F. L. (1970). "Notes on diapause in the tomato hornworm (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), in British Columbia". Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia. 67: 16–17.
  10. 1 2 "Five-spotted hawkmoth Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth, 1803) | Butterflies and Moths of North America". www.butterfliesandmoths.org. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  11. ↑ Kester, Karen M.; Peterson, Steven C.; Hanson, Frank; Jackson, D. Michael; Severson, R. F. (2002-03-01). "The roles of nicotine and natural enemies in determining larval feeding site distributions of Manduca sexta L. and Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth) on tobacco". Chemoecology. 12 (1): 1–10. Bibcode:2002Checo..12....1K. doi:10.1007/s00049-002-8320-6. ISSN   0937-7409. S2CID   29401231.
  12. ↑ Kawahara, Akito Y.; Breinholt, Jesse W.; Ponce, Francesca V.; Haxaire, Jean; Xiao, Lei; Lamarre, Greg P.A.; Rubinoff, Daniel; Kitching, Ian J. (2013). "Evolution of Manduca sexta hornworms and relatives: Biogeographical analysis reveals an ancestral diversification in Central America". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 68 (3): 381–386. Bibcode:2013MolPE..68..381K. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.04.017. PMID   23643972.
  13. ↑ Wilson, J. Keaton; Woods, H. Arthur (2016). "Innate and Learned Olfactory Responses in a Wild Population of the Egg Parasitoid Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)". Journal of Insect Science. 16 (1): 110. doi:10.1093/jisesa/iew108. PMC   5155552 . PMID   27965403.
  14. ↑ Gray, Betty. "Beneficial insects in the garden: #04 Braconid Wasp on Hornworm (Cotesia congregatus)". aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  15. ↑ "Parasitism of the Tomato Hornworm". projects.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  16. ↑ Stanley, J. M.; Dominick, C. B. (1958-02-01). "Response of Tobacco- and Tomato-Hornworm Moths to Black Light". Journal of Economic Entomology. 51 (1): 78–80. doi:10.1093/jee/51.1.78. ISSN   0022-0493.
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