Pachysphinx modesta
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
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 Isle Royale National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 45th most-seen of the 48 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
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, Isle Royale National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the Modest Sphinx that you can see in Isle Royale National Park (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Snowberry Clearwing (about 30%) and One-Eyed Sphinx (about 20%), 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 Isle Royale 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.
