Aellopos tantalus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Aellopos tantalus, known as the Tantalus sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found in Florida, the Antilles, from Mexico to Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, and in the Amazon basin. The wingspan is 45–57 millimetres (1.8–2.2 in). Adults are on wing year-round. The adults feed on nectar of various flowers, including Eugenia axillaris, Draceana fragrans and Ernodea littoralis.
The larvae feed on Rubiaceae species, including Casasia clusiifolia and Randia aculeata. Pupation takes place in loose cocoons in shallow underground chambers or in leaf litter. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tantalus Sphinx sighting in Everglades National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 292nd most-seen of the 496 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.
May–September and November–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tantalus Sphinx in Everglades National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–April and October, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tantalus Sphinx sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Everglades National Park, in our data
Everglades National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Tantalus Sphinx sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the Tantalus Sphinx that you can see in Everglades National Park (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Tersa Sphinx (about 10%), Giant Sphinx (about 10%) and Grote's Sphinx (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tantalus Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Everglades National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
