Sphinx ligustri
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Sphinx ligustri, the privet hawk moth, is a moth found in most of the Palearctic realm. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It has a 12 centimetres (4.7 in) wingspan (generally deflexed at rest), and is found in urban areas, forests and woodlands.
The male privet hawk moth can make a hissing sound, if disturbed, by rubbing together a set of scales and spines at the end of its abdomen. The larvae are usually found between July and August: and bury themselves in the earth when preparing to become a pupa. They then fly in the following June.
As both its common name and specific name - ligustri being derived from the Latin ligustrum, 'privet' - describes, the caterpillars feed on privets, as well as ash trees, lilacs, jasmine, and a number of other plants. Media related to Sphinx ligustri at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Sphinx ligustri at Wikispecies "69.006 BF1976 Privet Hawk-moth Sphinx ligustri Linnaeus, 1758". UKMoths. Retrieved December 13, 2018. Pittaway, A. R. (2018). "Sphinx Linnaeus, 1758". Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic. Retrieved... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Privet Hawkmoth sighting in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 403rd most-seen of the 1277 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 August–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Privet Hawkmoth in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May, July and October–March, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Privet Hawkmoth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Privet Hawkmoth sightings, Pyrénées National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Spain, about 20%), Aigüestortes National Park (Spain, about 10%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Privet Hawkmoth is recorded against all the insects logged in Pyrénées National Park (23 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.
