One type of hummingbird moth: The White-lined Sphinx |
Hummingbird moths are part of a family of many medium to large moths in the Sphingidae family and Hemaris genus. They are in the sphinx moth or hawk moth family, and hover like an actual hummingbird.
Hummingbird moths can be found not only in North America, but in Europe, Africa, and Asia. They have a wide range in the United States from Texas and Florida to Maine and Alaska as well as in some Canadian provinces. In Britain they are commonly called Bee Hawk-Moths.
It feeds through a proboscis, a long, straw-like tube kept curled under the head when not in use. They can be beneficial through pollination of many species of plants.
While most moths are active at night, hummingbird moths are also active during the day, beating its winds up to 70 beats per second.
There are many types of Hummingbird Moths, over 100 in the U.S. and Canada, including these common ones:
Although the caterpillars feed on leaves of various plants, most are innocuous, attracting little attention and causing little, if any, injury to garden plants. Tomato and tobacco hornworms, which feed on tomatoes and a few related plants, are an exception, which can be true garden pests.
Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth (Hemaris diffinis) |
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Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) |
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Rocky Mountain Clearwing (Hemaris thetis) |
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White-lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moth (Hyles lineata) |
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Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floridensis) |
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