Darapsa myron
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Darapsa myron, the Virginia creeper sphinx or the Green Grapevine Sphinx, is a species of moth in the family Sphingidae. It is found in central and eastern North America. in Canada it is found in southern Ontario and Quebec, and in the United States is found from Maine south to south Florida; west to North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. It is also found in Mexico.
The moths prefer woodland or brush habitats. Adults are usually large with long abdomens ending in a point. The top of the forewing is striped with shades of green to brown and has a dark dot in the middle. The top of the hindwing is orange. Their wings span 2-3 inches.
Known as "hornworms", due to the large blue horn on the posterior end, the young larvae are slim and yellow. Maturing they become darker (green, pink or brown) and gain 7 pairs of diagonal stripes merging into a dorsal black line.
There are five or more annual broods, and larvae can mature in as few as three weeks. Larvae hide on the midribs of their host leaves and are nocturnal feeders. While active from early May to early September it's during June and July that this species is most... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Creeper Sphinx sighting in Baltimore on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 225th most-seen of the 705 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Creeper Sphinx in Baltimore on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Virginia Creeper Sphinx sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Virginia Creeper Sphinx sightings, Baltimore ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the Virginia Creeper Sphinx that you can see in Baltimore (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Catalpa Sphinx (about 10%), Snowberry Clearwing (about 10%) and Pandorus Sphinx (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Virginia Creeper Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Baltimore (22 verified sightings), 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.
