Eumorpha pandorus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Eumorpha pandorus, the Pandora sphinx moth or Pandorus sphinx moth, is a North American moth in the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1821. The pandora sphinx moth has a wingspan of 3.25–4.6 inches (8.3–11.7 cm). Its wings are opaque and have a greenish-olive background on the dorsal surfaces. The wings are narrow and are held deltaform at rest. Females generally have a larger abdomen than males. There are green markings on the dorsal forewing with a two-toned double spot extending from the base along the forewing's inner margin. When the wings are folded, the latter spot aligns with a dark mark on the moth's body that covers each tegula. A green marking with a pale outline is visible near the apex of the forewing. The dorsal surfaces of the hindwings, when extended, reveal black patches on a white background that becomes greenish-olive near the termens. Pink is present around the torni of the hindwings and in isolated areas on the dorsal forewings. Small dark eyespots on the hindwings and the forewings, there found in the discal position bearing two tiny "pupils," are visible even when the wings are folded. The ventral... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pandorus Sphinx sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 173rd most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pandorus Sphinx in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pandorus Sphinx sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Pandorus Sphinx sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the Pandorus Sphinx that you can see in Shenandoah National Park (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Snowberry Clearwing (about 20%), Hummingbird Clearwing (about 10%) and Virginia Creeper Sphinx (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pandorus Sphinx is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (21 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.
