Ceratomia undulosa
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Ceratomia undulosa, the waved sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1856. Also known as the "Scorpion Moth" (See "Biology" Below"). It is found in the United States, and southern Canada, east of the Rocky Mountains. Adult moths are strictly nocturnal, hiding away as dawn approaches (Fullard & Napoleone 2001).
Recorded food plants of the larvae include ash (Fraxinus), privet (Ligustrum), oak (Quercus), hawthorn (Crataegus) and fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus). When ready, larvae dig underground to pupate. The most common predator is the Guiana Striped Scorpion, which feasts on the moth's egg clusters. The common proximity of the two species, sometimes showing up as the moth lays her eggs, has resulted in erroneous conclusions that the moths give birth to the scorpions, and the resultant name "Scorpion Moth."
Ceratomia undulosa undulosa (from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia west to eastern Alberta and Maine to Florida west to the eastern Great Plains and south to Florida, the Gulf Coast and Texas) Ceratomia undulosa polingi Clark, 1929 (Mexico)
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Waved Sphinx sighting in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 34th most-seen of the 68 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Waved Sphinx in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May and September–December, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Waved Sphinx sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Waved Sphinx sightings, Cape Breton Highlands National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%) and Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the Waved Sphinx that you can see in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Blinded Sphinx (about 10%), Laurel Sphinx (about 10%) and Northern Apple Sphinx (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Waved Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
