Few things are as fulfilling as cultivating a garden filled with diverse wildlife. One beloved backyard visitor, the hummingbird, is often confused with another pollinator — the hummingbird moth.
These remarkable creatures mimic the appearance and behavior of their avian namesake, rapidly flapping their wings and hovering near flowers as they sip nectar.
The Sphingidae family, which includes sphinx moths, comprises around 1,400 species. North America has 115 kinds, including four Hemaris hummingbird moth species, with the snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis)
They are usually red and brown, like the rufous hummingbird. Many of these insects are innocuous and fascinating to watch, but their larvae may destroy crops and greenery with their insatiable appetites.
If you hear a buzzing in your yard and see a little, fuzzy creature hovering by your flowers, it may be a hummingbird. A closer look reveals this little acrobatic flier is a common clearwing hummingbird moth.
These moths are roughly the same size as hummingbird fledglings and may make a humming sound with their fast wing waving. The olive-green back, reddish-brown belly, and whitish front and legs distinguish this species if you go near.
Common clearwing hummingbird moths are the most common of the species in North America and are often seen in flower gardens between late spring and early fall.
Their caterpillars may gnaw or defoliate plants, although you're unlikely to detect them in your garden. Adults are harmless and sip from blooms smaller-tongued pollinators leave behind.