Hemaris thysbe, also known as the Hummingbird Clearwing, belongs to the Sphingidae family of moths. Individual coloration can vary, but typically this moth exhibits an olive green and burgundy color pattern on its upper side, and white or yellow with burgundy on the underside. Its wings are transparent with a reddish-brown border. Distinguished by its light-colored legs and lack of striping underneath, H. thysbe is easily identifiable. Hovering swiftly while beating its wings, it gathers nectar from various flowers. Due to its appearance and behavior, it is often mistaken for a hummingbird or bumblebee.

Hummingbird Moths: Daytime Flyers with Fascinating Life Cycles

Unlike most nocturnal sphinx moths, hummingbird moths are active during the day. They inhabit a wide range of environments such as open meadows, forest edges, and suburban gardens, where they feed on flower nectar using their long, slender proboscis.

Hummingbird Moth Caterpillars

Hummingbird moth females deposit their eggs on various plants. The mature caterpillars are typically plump, yellowish-green, sometimes with a brownish hue, and feature the characteristic spiky tail horn common among sphinx moth caterpillars.

Depending on the species, these caterpillars feed on leaves from plants like viburnums, honeysuckles, snowberries, blueberries, and members of the rose family. After feeding, they enter a pupal stage within a delicate cocoon nestled in leaf litter. Here, they overwinter, emerging as moths in late spring or early summer to continue their lifecycle, visiting flowers and perpetuating their species during the warmer months.

#HummingbirdMoth #NatureDocumentary #WildlifePhotography #NatureVideo #Moths #wildlife #crittercam #nature #blueridgemountains #appalachianmountains #appalachia #birds