This photo is of a Hummingbird Clear Wing Moth gathering nectar from Thistle.
Hummingbird Clear Wing Moth / Thistle
I absolutely love going hiking and seeing something new. With the amount of diversity in Appalachia among the plants and animals you just never know what you are going to experience with each trip.
It is because of all the hours I spend among the plants and animals, though, that makes me wonder how I’ve missed seeing things like the hummingbird clear wing which has a habitat range stretching across North America.
When I saw this critter I had no idea what it was. That is exciting for me because the research is usually a challenge and there is a feeling of accomplishment/satisfaction when the unknown becomes known.
Another mystery of the mountains solved. Another tidbit of info I can pass down to my grand-kids and to those who happen upon this website. ;)
Hummingbird Clear Wing Moth
Adult sphinx moths are medium to large moths with wingspans ranging from about 1.25 inches to 4.75 inches. The snowberry clearwing is one of the smallest moths in this group, while the five-spotted hawk moth is one of the largest. Its larva is the familiar tomato hornworm. The Carolina sphinx, whose larva is known as the tobacco hornworm, weighs only one to two grams, but it flaps its wings an astonishing 25 to 30 beats per second. Some sphinx moths have been clocked at speeds as high as 30 mph.
Hornworm
Sphinx moths are often mistaken for hummingbirds and bumblebees because of their similarities in size, foraging behavior and feeding structures. Many sphinx moths are nocturnal, but several species are diurnal, meaning they are active during the daytime when hummingbirds and bumblebees are also foraging. Adult sphinx moths have a long, straw-like “tongue,” called the proboscis, which they keep curled under the head. They use it to suck nectar from the flower. The nectar is rich in sugar, which fuels the energy required for hovering.
Hummingbird Clear Wing Moth
Hummingbird Clear Wing Moth
Hummingbird Clear Wing Moth
Hummingbird Clear Wing Moth
Photos best viewed in high definition!!
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When one tugs at a single thing in nature; he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
