Ambulyx substrigilis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Ambulyx substrigilis, the dark-based gliding hawkmoth, is a species of moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by John O. Westwood in 1847. It is known from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, China (Hainan Island), Malaysia (Peninsular, Sarawak), Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan) and the Philippines.
The wingspan is 96–120 mm. The larvae have been recorded feeding on Aglaia littoralis in India. Ambulyx substrigilis substrigilis (Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, China (Hainan Island), Malaysia (Peninsular, Sarawak), Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan), Philippines)
Ambulyx substrigilis aglaia (Jordan, 1923) (India) In The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I, the species is described as follows: The hind wing crenulate. Pale ochreous or greyish brown to purplish brown in color; an olive-green band between the antennae; lateral olive-green bands on the thorax meeting on metathorax; abdomen with two olive blotches on the fifth segment, and one on the seventh in some specimens... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dark-Based Gliding Hawkmoth sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 77th most-seen of the 117 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.
March–April, August and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dark-Based Gliding Hawkmoth in Sinharaja Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in May–July, September–October and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark-Based Gliding Hawkmoth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Dark-Based Gliding Hawkmoth sightings, Sinharaja Forest Reserve ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the Dark-Based Gliding Hawkmoth that you can see in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Jade Hawkmoth (about 20%), Swinhoe's Striated Hawkmoth (about 10%) and Daphnis layardii (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dark-Based Gliding Hawkmoth is recorded against all the insects logged in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (7 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.
