Carolina sphinx moth

Manduca sexta

Adult M. sexta have narrow wings with a wing span of approximately 100mm. M. sexta moths are nectarovorous and feed on flowers, demonstrating a remarkable ability to hover. Manduca sextaMales are identifiable by their broader anntennae and the presence of claspers at the end of the abdomen. Female moths are typically ready to mate one week after eclosion, and do so only once. Males may mate many times. Mating generally occurs on a vertical surface at night, and can last several hours, with the male and female facing in opposite positions, their posterior ends touching. After mating, females deposit their fertilized eggs on foliage, usually on the underside of leaves

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