WHAT ARE HUMMINGBIRD MOTHS

[Kevin J.Caley]

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

I presume that you mean 'Hummingbird-hawkmoths'?
If so, they are member of the cosmopolitan hawkmoth family (Sphingidae)
which, unlike the majority of their kin, are regular daytime fliers,
hovering around daisies, bedstraws and the like (as well as other plants
later in the evening).  The species we have in Europe is Macroglossum
stellatarum, although there are several more species in this generally
Old World tropical genus.  The nearest relatives of the hummingbirds are
the Bee-hawkmoths of the genus Hemaris.
Our species (M. stellatarum) has a wingspan of 38-50mm, has yellow
hindwings, thin dark bands across the forewings and strange flattened
sections on the abdomen (coloured black and white), giving the animal
something resembling a bird's tail!

Hope this info's useful!

Kevin J.