Xylophanes tersa
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Xylophanes tersa, the tersa sphinx, is a species of moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1771. It is found from the United States (Massachusetts south to southern Florida, west to Nebraska, New Mexico and southern Arizona), through Mexico, the West Indies and Central America and into parts of South America (including Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil). An occasional stray can be found as far north as Canada.
The larvae feed on Borreria, Catalpa, Manettia, and Pentas species, and Spermacoce glabra, Hamelia patens, Hedyotis nigricans, Heimia salicifolia, Psychotria microdon, Psychotria nervosa, and Inga vera. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaragua National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 2 | Main Ridge Forest Reserve | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | João Pessoa | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Manaus | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tersa Sphinx sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 37 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 171st most-seen of the 557 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.
December
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tersa Sphinx in Mexico City on a given day, against under 5% in January to November, the lowest months. That is one of Mexico City's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain against 150 mm in July.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tersa 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.
11th of 17
Of the 17 cities where we can rate Tersa Sphinx sightings, Mexico City ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in São Luís (Brazil, about 20%), João Pessoa (Brazil, about 20%) and Manaus (Brazil, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tersa Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Mexico City (37 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.
