
The sphinx moth is a strong flier, and can travel long distances in search of food. The moth is sometimes mistaken for a hummingbird, due to its size and the way it hovers in mid-air while feeding on nectar. The sphinx moth is brown or gray in color, with mottled markings. It is a large moth, with a wingspan of up to six inches. The adult moth is known as the sphinx moth. After about two weeks, the adult moth emerges from the cocoon. The tobacco hornworm caterpillar spins a silken cocoon in which to pupate. The final instar is when the caterpillar is fully grown and ready to pupate. The tobacco hornworm goes through several stages of growth, or instars, before it pupates and emerges as an adult moth. The tobacco hornworm is a voracious eater, and can quickly do serious damage to a tobacco plant. It is green in color, with white stripes running down its sides.

The tobacco hornworm is a large caterpillar, reaching up to four inches in length. The tobacco hornworm gets its name from the fact that it is often found on tobacco plants, where it feeds on the leaves. Tobacco hornworms are the larvae of a type of moth known as the sphinx moth.
