Lettered Sphinx

Lettered Sphinx

Deidamia inscriptum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

7 Verified sightings at Great Smoky Mountains National Park From 2019 to 2026
17 In all 2 parks
April Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Lettered Sphinx

Deidamia inscriptum, the lettered sphinx, is a species of moth of the family Sphingidae. It is the only member of the genus Deidamia. The species was first described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1839 and the genus was erected by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1859. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
4 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lettered Sphinx in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lettered Sphinx sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 513th most-seen of the 822 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.

When is the best time to see a Lettered Sphinx in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

March to May

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lettered Sphinx in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to February, the lowest months.

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

Between 5 and 8 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lettered Sphinx sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Great Smoky Mountains National Park the best place to see a Lettered Sphinx?

2nd of 2

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Lettered Sphinx sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Lettered Sphinx live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Same family: Sphingidae

The closest relatives of the Lettered Sphinx that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Virginia Creeper Sphinx (about 10%), Blinded Sphinx (about 10%) and Walnut Sphinx (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Lettered Sphinx sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lettered Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (7 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.

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