Hummingbird Clearwing Moth in Lavender Field Photo Print

"Hummingbird Clearwing Moth in Lavender Field" by Catherine Sherman. This Hummingbird Clearwing Moth hovers as it moves from flower to flower to feed on nectar in a field of lavender on a Kansas farm. This moth is often confused with a small hummingbird or a bumblebee from a distance because of its flight pattern. Hemaris thysbe, the hummingbird clearwing, is a moth of the family Sphingidae (hawkmoths). Coloration varies between individuals, but typically the moth is olive green and burgundy on its back, and white or yellow and burgundy on the underside. Its wings are transparent with a reddish-brown border. It has light-colored legs, which combined with the lack of striping on the underside is diagnostic. Beating its wings rapidly, H. thysbe hovers to collect nectar from a variety of flowers. Hemaris thysbe is found in a large portion of North America, with a range extending from Alaska to Oregon in the west and from Newfoundland to Florida in the east. It is a migratory species and is most common in southern Ontario and the eastern United States. H. thysbe has two broods a year in the southern portion of its range, but only one in the north. As a caterpillar, it feeds on honeysuckle, dogbane, and several types of fruit trees. Due to the variable appearance of H. thysbe, it has often been mistakenly described as multiple distinct species. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. The moth is a flower pollinator.