Hummingbird Moth Banking in for a Wild Iris Feed!
Hummingbird Moth Hovers in Place on Wild Iris
Love it when the Humming bird moths first appear- a member of the Sphingidae, the Sphinx moth group. These are day-time flying hummingbird mimics that astound me every time I see them. I can watch one for a long time. Just brilliant. Not 100% positive on which one this is yet, but its probably the hummingbird clear wing, though June is a bit of an early date for one. It was a large individual, and I caught it banking in for a feed- with the feeding tube (proboscis) slightly unraveled to get into the flower rather quickly. They sip nectar on the fly, and they don’t spend a lot of time at each flower. With the wings still beating, they will enter lager flowers and just hover in position. Just fun to see, watch. Enjoy. NG.
I am very fond of sphingids too—enjoyed watching them in a garden at Kansas State last fall. It was great fun videotaping them as they zoomed and hovered.
Margery, I am happy that you enjoyed this image! I love them as well, and every time I see them I have to just stop and watch. So colorful, and so smooth. Also very happy to see that you visited the website and perused. Kenny.
And also, FYI, please also find a daily updated blog at FaceBook under Naturalist Guy, with additional images, updated topics etc. Everything at the domain goes to FB, but not everything on FB goes to the domain. Got it. Got it.
K.
You’re right about the general description. This is Hemaris thysbe, a close relative of the snowberry clearwing, H. diffinis. Both larvae feed on honeysuckles and viburnums of different species. The larvae are small and usually very pretty.
This is Hemaris thysbe, a cousing to H. diffinis. Larvae feed on honeysuckles and viburnums. The small hornworms are quite pretty, too.
This is Hemaris thysbe, a cousing to H. diffinis. Larvae feed on honeysuckles and viburnums. The small hornworms are quite pretty, too.