WHAT ARE HUMMINGBIRD MOTHS

Edmund Rucker edmund at aolnorth.com
Tue Oct 21 11:39:07 EDT 1997


>Looking for information/picture of hummingbird moths.
>Norman Hockler

The hummingbird moths (Hemaris spp.) are Sphinx moths.  Here are some web
pages about them:

http://www.npsc.nbs.gov/help/faq/sphinx/sphinx.htm
http://www.npsc.nbs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/ma/635.htm  (picture of
Snowberry Clearwing, H. diffinis)
http://www.npsc.nbs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/ma/637.htm  (picture of
Clearwing Hummingbird, H. thysbe))

I am fairly sure I observed one this summer around twilight, visiting a
white-flowered New Guinea impatiens, but it moved on quickly.  Also observed
a ruby-throated hummingbird (the bird) at the fuchsia 'Gartenmeister
Bonstedt' growing next to it.  The bird and the moth together would have
made a great photograph!

The larval form of one species is the tomato hornworm.  I have occasionally
observed these on my tomatoes, but always harboring the parasitic wasp that
attacks them and they eventually perish.  

- Edmund



More information about the Leps-l mailing list