Five-spotted Hawk Moth

Known for their rapid flight and ability to hover over a flower while feeding, the five-spotted hawk moth is another important nighttime pollinator.   Although found throughout the U.S. it is more often found in northern states including Ohio.  They’re found in various habitats, including gardens, meadows, woodlands, and even urban areas if they provide the right kind of plants for both the moth and its caterpillar.  Being nocturnal these moths begin flying at dusk and spend the night feeding on large, fragrant, white or light-colored night-blooming flowers with long funnel-shaped tubes containing pools of nectar.   They will feast on flowers such as moonflowers, evening primrose, petunias, honeysuckle, and four o’clocks.

Five-spotted hawk moths are big with wingspans over five inches.   Their wings are brown and gray with large mottled front wings and smaller hindwings with light and dark zigzag patterned bands.  Their abdomens are brown and white with a row of five yellow spots down each side which is how they got their name.  These nighttime beauties are built for speed.  Their body is a streamlined tapered shape containing powerful flight muscles and the wings are long and narrow giving them the ability to be fast and agile.  Hawk moths can fly 12mph at top speed, faster than many birds.  To reach down into the flowers they feed on they have a long flexible straw-like proboscis which is a tubular mouthpart used for feeding.  This proboscis is about four inches long.

The five-spotted hawk moth plays an important role in pollinating many wildflowers and commercially valuable plants in the nightshade family, an invaluable service contributing to the delicate balance of our ecosystem and to the rich biodiversity of Ohio.  Their caterpillars, called tomato hornworms, help regulate plant populations in natural ecosystems.  But it must be noted that these caterpillars are voracious eaters and can be considered pests in gardens and on farms. The moth and its caterpillars are a food source for many animals including bats, birds and other insects.  This moth depends on the night to feed, to mate, and to protect their caterpillars as they feed.  These moths are drawn to light sources at night. This is the only time many people will ever see them. Moths drawn to light are not mating and they are not pollinating plants.   Under the light they will die due to increased predation or exhaustion before daylight.  Let’s help these beautiful moths thrive by protecting dark skies so that they can continue to play their critical role in the ecosystem.