Pachylia ficus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Pachylia ficus, known as the fig sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It lives across South America from Uruguay through to Central America, and to the southern tip of the United States, straying into Arizona and Texas.
It has a wingspan of 4+3⁄8–5+1⁄2 inches (110–140 mm), with orange-brown wings. There are several generations per year in the tropics, peninsular Florida and southern Texas. Adults have been recorded in February, September and November in Brazil and in June in Panama. The adults feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Asystasia gangetica and the endangered ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii). They also pollinate the ghost orchid.
The larvae have been recorded feeding on Ficus aurea, Ficus carica, Ficus microcarpa, Ficus religiosa, Ficus pumila, Ficus gamelleira, Ficus prinoides, Ficus pumila and Artocarpus integrifolius. There are several colour morphs. Pupation takes place in a cocoon spun amongst leaf litter.
Fig sphinx Moths of America Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Masaya Volcano National Park | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 4 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 7 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 9 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 10 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 11 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 14 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manaus | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 10 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fig Sphinx sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 412th most-seen of the 506 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.
March, May and July–August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fig Sphinx in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in April, June and September–February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fig Sphinx sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
15th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Fig Sphinx sightings, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve ranks 15th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tayrona National Natural Park (Colombia, about 20%), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 20%) and Masaya Volcano National Park (Nicaragua, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fig Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (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.
