Nearly every day there are at least 4 or 5 Snowberry Clearwing moths (Hemaris diffinis). As its name implies, part of its wing is clear (not covered with scales) as you can see from this photo.
It is a hawk moth and among the few moths that can hover like a hummingbird which is why it is so hard to actually get a photo of its wings because they are in constant motion.
Their coloring is slightly different from the Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) which I just discovered also out on my butterfly bush (!!!)...
or the Hummingbird Hawk Moth (Macroglossum stellarum).
Source: Wikipedia
At least the Snowberry Clearwing has a more unique name once you figure out which species it is. Why snowberry? Because the larvae of this moth feeds on (among other plants) snowberry.
Source: Wikipedia
Also have had visits from the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (yes, Lynne, I labelled ALL my photos Western Tiger Swallowtail!!)
This beautiful little dragonfly is also a frequent visitor. He has a blue tail and green head. (The dragonflies tend to prefer the dead flowers and not the newly opened ones. Would love to know why.)
The steel blue cricket hunter wasp is back too. It flies around the butterfly bush, but actually seems to prefer the hydrangea. The photo is not totally in focus, but you can see where it gets its name as far as color. It doesn't stay still very long either.
You can read more about it here.
I saw a black swallowtail for the first time today, but was unable to get a photo. So you will be forced to look at more butterfly bush photos at a later date!
Nice! Is that your photo of the Hummingbird Hawk Moth? If so, it's super! I've not seen one of those before. Just the Snowberry Clearwings. Try using the "sports" setting on your camera to stop the wings in action. Give it a try!
ReplyDeleteNo, the photo of the Hummingbird Hawk Moth is not mine - from Wikipedia, BUT just went out to try a get a photo of the Snowberry Clearwing with the 'sports' setting as you suggested and there was a Hummingbird Clearwing there instead of the Snowberry so switched photos as the original picture I posted of the Hummingbird Clearwing was also from Wiki. I used the sports setting - what do you think??
DeleteOkay, I see now! Yes, it worked! Now you have me wondering if I have seen the Hawk Moths too and just didn't realize they looked the same except for a slight difference in coloring. ? I always use the sports setting when taking pics of anything that might move -- even flowers in a slight breeze. That way I get it in focus! :)
ReplyDeleteI swear when I looked the other day your comment back to me was not this one, but a different one. ? Maybe I am just nuts. ;)
No you're not going crazy. I deleted the previous comment because it wasn't correct anymore after I changed the photos. They are ALL hawk moths, but only one has hawk moth in its common name. The new photo is of the Hummingbird Clearwing, not the Hummingbird Hawk Moth.
DeleteYou're confusing me on purpose! :p
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not. I swear!!
Delete