Cocytius antaeus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Cocytius antaeus, the giant sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Sphinx sighting in Panama City on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 109th most-seen of the 131 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.
June and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Sphinx in Panama City on a given day, against under 5% in July and September–May, the lowest months. Those are among Panama City's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in February.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Sphinx sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Giant Sphinx sightings, Panama City ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Lima (Peru, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Giant Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Panama City (5 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.
