Agrius cingulata
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Agrius cingulata, the pink-spotted hawkmoth or sweetpotato hornworm, is a moth in the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. The imago has a wingspan of 3+3⁄4 to 4+3⁄4 inches (9.5–12 cm). Its robust body is gray brown with pink bands. The abdomen tapers to a point. The hindwings are gray with black bands and pink at the bases.
The imago is nocturnal. It feeds on the nectar from deep-throated flowers including moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum), morning glories (Convolvulus species), and petunias (Petunia species). The larva is a large, stout caterpillar with a horn. It feeds during the day and the night on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Datura species, and other plants. It is known as a pest of sweet potato.
This is mainly a neotropical species, and the adults migrate north to Canada and south to Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. It can also be found in the Galápagos Islands and Hawaii. It has been reported from western Europe, including Portugal and the United Kingdom. It has recently become established in West Africa and Cape Verde, possibly having originated in Brazil. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Goiânia | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Guayaquil | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 7 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | Brasilia | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Maceió | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth sighting in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 58th most-seen of the 74 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–June and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and October–March, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
4th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth sightings, Padre Island National Seashore ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Machalilla National Park (Ecuador, about 20%), Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 10%) and Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth that you can see in Padre Island National Seashore (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Twintip Buckeye (about 40%), Common Buckeye (about 40%) and Ceraunus Blue (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth is recorded against all the insects logged in Padre Island National Seashore (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.
