Pachysphinx modesta
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Modest Sphinx sighting in Grand Teton National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 130th most-seen of the 140 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–July and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Modest Sphinx in Grand Teton National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and October–May, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Modest Sphinx sightings, Grand Teton National Park ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 10%), Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 10%) and Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the Modest Sphinx that you can see in Grand Teton National Park (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are One-Eyed Sphinx (about 10%), White-Lined Sphinx (about 10%) and Rocky Mountain Clearwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Modest Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Grand Teton National Park (5 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.
