Pine Hawkmoth

Pine Hawkmoth

Sphinx pinastri

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Helsinki

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

28 Verified sightings at Helsinki
151 In all 10 parks From 2019 to 2026
August 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 Helsinki?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pine Hawkmoth sighting in Helsinki on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 202nd most-seen of the 838 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

July to September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pine Hawkmoth in Helsinki on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, 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 Helsinki the best place to see a Pine Hawkmoth?

Among the best

Of the 14 cities where we can rate Pine Hawkmoth sightings, Helsinki ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Vienna (Austria, about 10%).

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 Helsinki (28 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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