BumblebeeClear-wingMoth51.jpg

Photo Study Of Some Clearwing Moths, Montgomery And Bucks Counties, PA, July 12th, 2011

    I photographed two different kinds of Sphinx Clearwing Moths at my home and at Peace Valley Park on Tuesday. The first is a little smaller and
    resembles a bumblebee (the Snowberry Clearwing Moth, Hemaris diffinis). It is usually black and yellow and has black legs. The second mimics
    a hummingbird (the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, Hemaris thysbe) and is usually reddish brown and olive in coloration with yellowish green
    legs. Both species were feeding on Bee Balm flowers (Monarda).

Bumblebee Moth

Bumblebee Moth With Coiled Proboscis

Bumblebee Moth

Bumblebee Moth

And Here's A Real Bumblebee On Monarda For Comparison

And Here's Another Real Bumblebee Imitating A Bumblebee Moth

Hummingbird Moth

Hummingbird Moth

Hummingbird Moth

Hummingbird Moth

And for comparative purposes, here is another kind of Hummingbird Moth, the White-lined Sphinx, photographed last year at Bombay Hook:

White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata) Nectaring Thistle

    Sphinx moths, important pollinators, are members of the family Sphingidae, which has more than 1200 species. Also known as hawk moths, some,
    like the hummingbird moth, hover in midair while they feed on nectar from flowers and are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds. This hovering
    capability has evolved only three times in nectar feeders: in hummingbirds, certain bats, and these sphingids (an example of convergent evolution.)
    Sphingids have been much studied for their flying ability, especially their ability to move rapidly from side to side while hovering. It is thought
    that this evolved to deal with ambush predators that lie in wait in flowers. Most are nocturnal, though some, like the bumblebee or hummingbird
    moths, nectar during the day. Sphinx moths prefer pale flowers with deep nectar wells. These moths, with thick bodies and pointed abdomens, are
    fast and strong fliers capable of sustaining speeds up to 30 mph.

To see a larger image of any of the photos below, please click on the thumbnails or captions...thanks!


Bumblebee Clear-wingMoth1	Bumblebee ClearwingMoth2	Bumblebee ClearwingMoth3	Bumblebee ClearwingMoth4	Bumblebee ClearwingMoth5

Bumblebee ClearwingMoth6	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth1	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth2	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth3	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth4

Hummingbird ClearwingMoth5	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth6	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth7	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth8	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth9

Hummingbird ClearwingMoth10	Hummingbird ClearwingMoth11

� Howard B. Eskin 2011 Please email your comments to hbeskin@voicenet.com Please click here to go back to Bird Webpage Index