Manuca sexta L. is a moth of the family Sphingidae present through much of the American continent. Commonly known as the tobacco hornworm, it is closely related to and often confused with the very similar tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata); the larvae of both feed on the foliage of various plants from the family Solanaceae. The tobacco hornworm can be distinguished by its seven diagonal lines on its sides; tomato hornworms have eight V-shaped markings . An easy way to remember the markings is tobacco hornworms have straight white lines like cigarettes, while tomato hornworms have V-shaped markings as in V8 juice. M. sexta has mechanisms for selectively sequestering and secreting the neurotoxin nicotine present in tobacco.