Is It a Hummingbird? No, It's a Moth
One may think there's a tiny little baby hummingbird flying among the flowers, but more than likely it's a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. This moth will feed during the day and it's shape, coloration and scaleless wings give it the appearance of a small hummingbird. There are two common varieties of this attractive and interesting member of the Sphinx moth family. This lens will explore Hummingbird Moths (and a few other Sphinx Moths) as well as some of the big, beautiful Moths, like the Luna Moth. You'll also find a plant list for a "Moon Garden", with descriptions and photos of night blooming and fragrant plants that are sure to please the senses and bring in some beautiful moths and maybe an insect eating bat or two.
Moth Facts

Hummingbird Moth on Pickerel-weed by naturegirl7
Moths are Insects and belong to the Order Lepidoptera, which includes both Moths and Butterflies. There are about 100 families of moths with hundreds of genera (plural of genus) and over 150,000 species. Moths live in all parts of the world, except in the very cold mountaintops and polar regions. Most Moths live in the tropics.
Moths and Butterflies are very much alike, but there are several characteristics that Moths have that Butterflies don't:
- Moths usually have less colorful wings.
- Moths have furrier bodies.
- The antennas of moths are feathery or threadlike.
- Most Moths fly at night. One exception to this rule is the Clearwing Hummingbird Moth.
Sphinx Moth Adult and Larvae Photos
The sphinx family is a large family of moths. Here a a few photos of the larval and adult stages of some of the Sphinx and Hawk moths. Clearwing Hummingbird Moths are a member of the Sphinx family.
Description and Habits
The two types of North American Hummingbird Moths are very hard to tell apart. One type is the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, which (as you can tell by its name) resembles a small hummingbird. The other is the Snowberry Clearwing Moth which actually looks more like a large bumblebee, than a hummingbird. The ranges of both species overlap quite a bit, so you can have both in a given location. Both species have fast moving, scaleless wings and furry bodies with large abdomens with coloration similar to that of a hummingbird. The scales on the wings are rubbed off in flight soon after it emerges from the pupa.
Like other butterflies and moths, its mouth part is a straw-like siphoning, feeding tube called a proboscis. But, unlike most other moths, the Hummingbird Moths fly and feed during daylight hours in open woodlands, fields, gardens and backyards between March and September.
In the north, this moth has at least 2 broods of young and in Louisiana there are six broods every thirty days beginning in March. One pale green egg is deposited on the underside of a leaf and the small larvae stay hidden on the leaf vein. The larvae pupate in thin walled cocoons on the ground under leaf litter.
There are many different types of Sphinx Moths and each one uses specific plants to raise its young. For example, the Rustic Sphinx lays its eggs on only Fringe Trees and Jasmine. The photo below shows a very large Rustic Sphinx caterpillar dining on Fringe Tree leaves.
Sphinx moths get their name because, when the larvae is disturbed, it elevates the front part of its body and assumes a Sphinx-like position. The larvae of many sphinx moths are known as hornworms because of the horn or spike that is attached to the last segment of their body.
The Tomato Hormworm (Five-spotted Hawk Moth) and the Tobacco Hornworm (Carolina Sphinx Moth) are harmful to the crops they are named for. The name "Hawk moth" and Sphinx moth are both used, but hawk moths are actually another group in the family.
The Hummingbird Clearwing Moth - Hemaris thysbe belongs to the order Lepidoptera / Suborder Macrolepidoptera / Superfamily Sphingoidea / Family Sphingidae, common names: hawk moths, hornworms or sphinx moths. Species Hemaris thysbe (Fabricius) also called common clear-wing, hummingbird moth or sphinx colibri
Its range goes as far north as Alaska, east to Maine and Newfoundland and south to Florida and Texas. Adults are reddish-brown and green and have a wingspan of about two inches. The caterpillars eat viburnum, hawthorn, honeysuckle, buckbrush, wild cherry and plum and a few other types of fruit trees.
Adults hover and sip nectar at many different flowers, including honeysuckle, beebalm, phlox, lilac and blueberry and milkweed. One of the sure ways to tell a Hummingbird Moth from a Hummingbird is that the moth will often rest on the flower while it drinks.
The Snowberry Clearwing Moth - Hemaris diffinis is in the order Lepidoptera and family Sphingidae. It is about 1.25 to 2 inches. It actually looks more like a large bumblebee than a hummingbird. The name probably comes from the humming sound its wings make that is similar to that of a hummingbird. Another difference from the Hummingbird Clearwing is that the Snowberry's abdomen has yellow and black segments like a bumblebee. In its larval stage it eats plants such as honeysuckle, viburnum, hawthorn, snowberry, cherry, and plum.
Hummingbird Moth Video
Luna Moth
Luna Moth Facts
from Wikipedia
The Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a lime-green, Nearctic Saturniid moth in the subfamily Saturniinae.
Io Moth Facts
from Wikipedia
The Io Moth (Automeris io) is a very colorful North American moth in the Saturniidae family. It ranges from the southeast corner of Manitoba and in the southern extremes of Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick in Canada, and in the US it is found from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, east of those states and down to the southern end of Florida. Species Detail | Butterflies and Moths of North America
Polyphemus Moth
Polyphemus Moth Facts
from Wikipedia
The Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths.Polyphemus Moth It is a tan colored moth, with an average wingspan of 15 cm (6 inches). The most notable feature of the moth is its large, purplish eyespots on its two hindwings. The eye spots are where it gets its name ? from the Greek myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. The caterpillar of the Polyphemus Moth can eat 86,000 times its weight at emergence in a little less than two months. It is widespread throughout much of North America, from southern Canada to parts of Mexico.
Other Beautiful Moth Photos
There are many gorgeous nocturnal moths that inhabit the Southeastern United States. One of our favorites is the lovely Luna Moth and another is the Io Moth.
Mothy Books for Young Naturalists
Butterfly and Moth Guides for Children
Make a Moon Garden for the Moths
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Moon Gardens
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In today's busy world, the only time that most of us have to enjoy our garden is at night, so many people are creating Moon Gardens with fragrant white flowers and plants with silvery foliage. The bonus to these types of gardens is that they attract...
Hummingbird Moths to Enjoy
Visit our Naturally Native Creations Zazzle Gallery to see more designs.
Night Time Jewels
Many Mothy Books for Grownups
North Carolina Butterflies & Moths: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press) by James Kavanagh
Laminated for durability, these handy folding guid more...0 points
Night Visions: The Secret Designs of Moths by Joseph Scheer
An astonishing collection of images so vibrant the more...0 points
A Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (Special Publication / Virginia Museum of Natural History) by Charles V. Covell
A Guide to the Moths of Eastern North America, Cha more...0 points
California Butterflies & Moths: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press) by James Kavanagh
Butterflies and moths belong to the second largest more...0 points
600 Butterflies and Moths in Full Color (Dover Pictorial Archive Series) by W. F. Kirby
The exquisite hues and shapes of butterflies - and more...0 points
Hummingbird Moth Poll
Our Tchefuncte Habitat Blog Feed
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byLet's hear it for Moths!
HorseAndPony wrote...
We were very lucky to have Hummingbird moths in our Pennsylvania garden. They were so amazing. We would follow them around a watch their every move. What a great lens.
lynette76 wrote...
We have alot in common. I too photograph butterflies and moths. Every summer I have at least 3 hummingbird moths in my garden. They are my favorite!
ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...
Welcome to the Totally Awesome Lenses Group.
Lizzy
ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...
I love the butterflies. In the summer when my garden is in full bloom, there are tons of them in my backyard. I love it!
Great lens
Lizzy
JaguarJulie wrote...
Ah, what beautiful pictures you have on display. The hummingbird moth is SO interesting and unique. Terrific pics of moths! 5*****
Moth Links to Vote On
Hawk moth@Everything2.com
The Hummingbird clearwing (Hemaris thysbe), Snowbe more...1 point
silkmoths.bizland.com - Hummingbird Moth
Pictures of and information about<br /><b more...1 point
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth - Hemaris Thysbe
Explore extreme close-up photographs of live, acti more...1 point
Nature Notebook: Invertebrates: Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
NC Museum of Natural Sciences - Fun Stuff: Nature more...1 point
Hummingbird Imposters
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Moth Caterpillar Photos
photos of various moth caterpillars, mostly in Nor more...1 point
Jeff's Moth Photos
North Carolina moths photos1 point
bugguide.net - Snowberry Clearwing Moth
An online resource devoted to North American insec more...1 point
bugguide.net Hummingbird Moth
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