Hummingbird Moth in the Adirondacks

For more than 48 years I’ve been roaming the woods and meadows of the Adirondacks and I have never in my life seen a Hummingbird Moth, the strangest part of  all is that up until a week ago I had NEVER EVEN heard of a Hummingbird Moth.  I don’t remember where I saw or heard the name, but zipping by my head today as I sat on the porch steps next to the flower garden was one of the freakiest looking insects I had ever laid eyes on and miraculously I knew what it was. I didn’t get the greatest pics since it didn’t stick around long, you can bet though that I’ll be checking out the flowers tomorrow to see if he comes back.

The Hummingbird Moth, Hemaris diffinis is also called the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth and can be found throughout most of North America. They fly just like a hummingbird, hence the name, their about 2 inches in size and have a very long proboscis (think beak) so they can get at the nectar deep down inside tubular flowers.

You can see in the picture that their wings are fairly clear and their body resembles that of a bumblebee except for the rear end which looks more like short tail feathers.

Clear Wings

All in all it’s one freaky looking insect as it zips from flower to flower but at the same time it’s a pretty cool looking moth. They can be found flying around all times of the day, rain or shine and prefer flowers with a lot of nectar.  Next time you see what you think is a large Bumblebee or Hummingbird give it a second look and you may just get a glimpse of the Hummingbird Moth, indeed it was a rare treat for me.

Enjoy the Outdoors !!