Have You Seen A Hummingbird Moth? Here Are 10 Facts That Will Amaze
Is it a bird? Is it a bug? Whatever it is, this wing-beating creature is sure to cause you to do a double take! Meet the hummingbird moth. It’s one of the most fascinating insects (yes, it’s an insect!) to roam the garden. Here are 10 facts that will amaze you:
10 Fascinating Facts About The Hummingbird Moth
1) Hummingbird moth is the common name used for the genus Hemaris, which include: Hummingbird Hawk-Moth, Sphinx moth, Common Clearwing Hummingbird moth, Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird moth, Five-Spotted Hawkmoth, and White-Lined Sphinx.
2) Loathed by gardeners, the tomato or tobacco hornworm caterpillar that you see munching on your tomato plants will eventually morph into a Hawk moth, or Sphinx moth, each a type of hummingbird moth.
3) The moths featured in the 1991 film, The Silence of the Lambs were death’s head hawk moths, a type of hummingbird moth (of the Sphingidae family of moths, in the genus Hemaris). According to IMDb, the moths were treated like celebrities. “They were flown first class… and had special living quarters.”
4) The fast-moving hummingbird moth has a rapid wingbeat up to 70 beats per second (depending on the species), enabling it to fly up to 12 mph.
5) Instead of a beak like a hummingbird, it has a long tongue-like proboscis that rolls out of its coiled tube to reach the nectar deep inside flowers. Its tongue is about double the length of the moth’s body.
6) It has large, menacing eyes that appear to warn predators to keep their distance. Also protecting it from potential predators is its close resemblance to a bird, instead of a bug.
7) They range in length from 2—2.5 inches long and are covered in gray hair that resembles feathers, with white, rust or brown markings or variations. Their wingspan ranges from 2 to 6 inches depending on the species. The Snowberry Clearwing moth has clear wings.
8) The hummingbird moth can be found not only in North America, but in Europe, Africa, and Asia. They have a wide range in the US from Texas and Florida to Maine and Alaska.
9) After mating, the female moth lays eggs on plant leaves such as honeysuckle, cherries, hawthorns, and viburnums. The hatched caterpillar feeds on its host bush or vine.
10) These moths actively feed on flower nectar in the daytime, but you may also get a glimpse of one feeding at dusk on night-blooming flowers such as the evening primrose or night blooming jasmine.
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Deborah Tukua
Deborah Tukua is a natural living, healthy lifestyle writer and author of 7 non-fiction books, including Pearls of Garden Wisdom: Time-Saving Tips and Techniques from a Country Home, Pearls of Country Wisdom: Hints from a Small Town on Keeping Garden and Home, and Naturally Sweet Blender Treats. Tukua has been a writer for the Farmers' Almanac since 2004.
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Thank you for the information. I saw one of these 2 days ago while watering my flowers(near Fond du Lac, WI). I had no idea what it was. It was interesting to learn about it on your site. I hope I can see some more of these interesting creatures.
Forgot to mention I’m in Nashville, Tennessee.
Saw my first ever Hummingbird Moth in 2022. Didn’t have my camera or phone to get picture, but they were the cutest things ever. There were 4 or 5 of them and they were flying quickly from Moonflower to Moonflower. It was around 8:00 p.m. when I saw them. None in 2023, but had a couple this year, 2024. They are such a surprise when you see them the first time. Came in and told my husband I saw something that looked like a Hummingbird, but he said it had to be some type of moth. Looked online and discovered it was indeed a “Hummingbird Moth.” (We were both half right.)
Do they like autumn clematis?
Seen my first one yesterday in my flower garden. Alabama
Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing!
Oroville, CA
Saw one, Oroville, CA
These are excellent! Thank you for sharing!
We live in North Idaho
We have hummingbird moths. Killed my clematis vine. But they are pretty
I saw one today in downtown McAllen