Snowberry Clearwing Moth - (Hemaris diffinis)

The Snowberry Clearwing Moth is a large, furry Sphinx moth that greatly resembles a bee and a hummingbird.

Staff Writer (9/6/2017): Though this species looks and flies like a bee, it does not land on flowers as bees do. And though it has hair on it that may allow it to be mistaken for the feathers of a hummingbird, it has clear wings that are bordered with black. Instead of a bird beak, it has a curly proboscis for drinking nectar.

The Snowberry Clearwing is a large moth from the the Sphinx family. Members of this family are known to be strong fliers and many other species in it also resemble birds and bees.

Caterpillars are bright green and feed on the leaves of plants. It has a horn at one end that looks potentially harmful, but the caterpillar is actually quite harmless. Up to two generations can be produced a year.

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Details of the:
Snowberry Clearwing Moth

Category: Butterfly or Moth
Common name: Snowberry Clearwing Moth
Scientific Name: Hemaris diffinis

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Sphingidae

Genus: Hemaris

Species: diffinis

Size (Adult, Length): 32mm to 51mm (1.26in to 2.01in)

Identifying Colors: yellow; black; brown

Additional Descriptors: flying, hairy

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; Ontario; Quebec

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

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