Modest Sphinx

Modest Sphinx

Pachysphinx modesta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Toronto

In 3 days ~10%

5 Verified sightings at Toronto
53 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Modest Sphinx

Pachysphinx modesta, the modest sphinx or poplar sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1839. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Modest Sphinx in Toronto?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Modest Sphinx sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1544th most-seen of the 1689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Modest Sphinx in Toronto?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Modest Sphinx in Toronto on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Modest Sphinx?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Modest Sphinx sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Toronto the best place to see a Modest Sphinx?

Among the best

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Modest Sphinx sightings, Toronto ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Austin (United States, under 5%) and Dallas (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Modest Sphinx sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Modest Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (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.

← Back to Toronto