Hummingbird Clearwing

Hummingbird Clearwing Hawkmoth

This moth was photographed in the Butterfly Garden at the Kaler's Pond Audubon Center. It is often mistaken for a large bumblebee or even a small hummingbird when it hovers to sip the nectar from flowers.

IDENTIFICATION

The Hummingbird Clearwing is a member of the family Sphingidae, the sphinx moths. It can be identified partly by the fact that it is active during the day where most other members of the family are nocturnal or active at night. It is also one of the smaller members of the family with a wing span of 4 to 5.5 cm. The wings are clear in the centre and have a broad brown border.

This species is found throughout the province of Alberta. It is found throughout Eastern North America west as far as the Great Plains. The adults fly from mid-May through July.

Larvae first appear in early June and last until late August.

HABITAT AND HABITS

This is a moth of open weedy fields and forest edges. It feeds on flowers such as purple vetch, dandelion and honeysuckle and will occasionally come to backyards if the appropriate flowers are present. It has the ability to hover in front of flowers while it feeds, just like hummingbirds.

The larvae feed on the leaves of hawthorns, honeysuckle, cherry and snowberry. It overwinters as a pupa in a cocoon in leaf litter. Most sphinx moths have bare pupae (no cocoon) in the soil.