Pine Hawkmoth

Pine Hawkmoth

Sphinx pinastri

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Birmingham

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

11 Verified sightings at Birmingham
151 In all 10 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Pine Hawkmoth

Sphinx pinastri, the pine hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found in Palearctic realm and sometimes the Nearctic realm. This species has been found in Scotland but is usually found in England. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

The larvae feed on Scots pine, Swiss pine, Siberian pine and Norway spruce. The wings of Sphinx pinastri are grey with black dashes. The wingspan is 2+3⁄4–3+1⁄2 inches (70–89 mm). The moth flies from April to August depending on the location.

The back of the thorax is grey with two dark bands around both sides. The females lay their eggs in groups of two or three along pine or spruce needles. "69.007 BF1978 Pine Hawk-moth Sphinx pinastri Linnaeus, 1758". UKMoths. Retrieved January 7, 2019.

"06834 Sphinx pinastri Linnaeus, 1758 - Kiefernschwärmer". Lepiforum e.V. Retrieved January 7, 2019. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
2 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~20%
3 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
~20%
4 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
5 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
6 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
7 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
8 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
9 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
10 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
2 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
3 Minsk 🇧🇾 Belarus
~10%
4 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
~10%
5 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
<5%
6 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
7 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark
<5%
8 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
9 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
10 Hamburg 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Pine Hawkmoth in Birmingham?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pine Hawkmoth sighting in Birmingham on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 528th most-seen of the 811 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Pine Hawkmoth in Birmingham?

June and October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pine Hawkmoth in Birmingham on a given day, against under 5% in July–September and November–May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Pine Hawkmoth?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pine Hawkmoth 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.

Is Birmingham the best place to see a Pine Hawkmoth?

8th of 14

Of the 14 cities where we can rate Pine Hawkmoth sightings, Birmingham ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Vienna (Austria, about 10%), Helsinki (Finland, about 10%) and Minsk (Belarus, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Pine Hawkmoth live in Birmingham?

Same family: Sphingidae

The closest relatives of the Pine Hawkmoth that you can see in Birmingham (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Elephant Hawkmoth (about 10%), Lime Hawkmoth (about 10%) and Poplar Hawkmoth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Pine Hawkmoth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Pine Hawkmoth is recorded against all the insects logged in Birmingham (11 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.

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