Manduca blackburni

Manduca blackburni
Manduca blackburni
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Tribe: Sphingini
Genus: Manduca
Species: M. blackburni
Binomial name
Manduca blackburni
(Butler, 1880)[2]
Synonyms
  • Protoparce blackburni Butler, 1880
  • Phlegethontius blackburnii
  • Protoparce quinquemaculatus blackburni
Eggs
Feeding damage
Caterpillar

Manduca blackburni, commonly known as Blackburn's Sphinx Moth, the Hawaiian Tomato Hornworm or Hawaiian Tobacco Hornworm, is a species of moth in the family Sphingidae that is endemic to Hawaii. Previously known to inhabit all of the main islands, this rare moth is now seen on Maui, the Big Island, and Kahoʻolawe.[3] It is found in coastal mesic and dry forests at elevations from sea level 5,000 ft (1,500 m).

M. blackburni is closely related to the tomato hornworm (M. quinquemaculata), which it also greatly resembles. It was listed as an endangered species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000, making it the first Hawaiian insect to receive such status.[4][1]

Larvae feed on plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, especially native ʻaiea (Nothocestrum spp.), but also non-native tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca), jimson weed (Datura stramonium), and eggplant (Solanum melongena). Adults feed on nectar from native plants such as koali ʻawa (Ipomoea indica) and maiapilo (Capparis sandwichiana).[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Blackburn’s Sphinx Moth First Hawaiian Insect Added to Endangered Species List" (Press release). United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 2000-02-01. http://www.fws.gov/pacific/news/2000/2000-18.htm. 
  2. ^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. http://www.cate-sphingidae.org/taxonomy/Manduca/blackburni.html. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
  3. ^ Black, Scott Hoffman. "Moths: Blackburn’s sphinx moth (Manduca blackburni)". The Xerces Society. http://www.xerces.org/blackburns-sphinx-moth/. Retrieved 2010-06-24. 
  4. ^ Richardson, Mike; Dave Hopper (October 2003) (PDF). Draft Recovery Plan for the Blackburn's Sphinx Moth. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/blackburns_sphinx_moth_recovery_plan_2003.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  5. ^ "Blackburn’s Sphinx Moth" (PDF). Terrestrial Insects. State of Hawaiʻi. 2005-02-04. http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/cwcs/files/Blackburn%27s_Sphinx_Moth.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 

External links

Media related to Manduca blackburni at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Manduca blackburni at Wikispecies

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