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Agrius cingulata

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

Adults have a wingspan of about 9.5–12 cm. They are gray-brown with pink bands, and the abdomen tapers to a point. The hindwings are gray with black bands and pink at the bases. They are nocturnal and feed on nectar from long-tubed flowers such as moonflower, morning glories, and petunias.

The caterpillar (larva) is large and stout with a horn. It feeds during the day and night on sweet potato, Datura, and other plants, and is a pest of sweet potato.

This species is mainly neotropical. Adults migrate north to Canada and south to Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. It can also be found in the Galápagos Islands and Hawaii. It has been reported in western Europe (Portugal and the United Kingdom) and has recently become established in West Africa and Cape Verde, possibly originating in Brazil.


This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:48 (CET).