Ceratomia undulosa
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
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 Dallas on a given day, based on 80 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 255th most-seen of the 1412 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.
April–May and July–November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Waved Sphinx in Dallas on a given day, against under 5% in June and December–March, 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.
Among the best
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Waved Sphinx sightings, Dallas ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Denver (United States, about 10%) and Austin (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Waved Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Dallas (80 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.
