Hemaris diffinis, the snowberry clearwing, is a moth of the order Lepidoptera, family Sphingidae. This moth is sometimes called "hummingbird moth" or "flying lobster". This moth should not be confused with the hummingbird hawk-moth of Europe.

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Snowberry clearwing
Hemaris diffinis in Augusta, Michigan
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Genus:	Hemaris
Species:	H. diffinis
Binomial name
Hemaris diffinis (Boisduval 1836)[1]
Synonyms
Macroglossa diffinis Boisduval, 1836 Macroglossa aethra Strecker, 1875 Macroglossa fumosa Strecker, 1874 Sesia axillaris Grote & Robinson, 1868 Sesia grotei Butler, 1874 Hemaris tenuis Grote, 1873 Hemaris metathetis Butler, 1876 Hemaris marginalis Grote, 1873 Haemorrhagia ariadne Barnes & McDunnough, 1910

Adults

It is about 32–51 millimetres (1.25–2 in). The moth's abdomen has yellow and black segments much like those of the bumblebee, for whom it might be mistaken due to its color and flight pattern similarities. The moth's wings lack the large amount of scales found in most other lepidopterans, particularly in the centralized regions, making them appear clear. It loses the scales on its wings early after the pupa stage by its highly active flight tendencies.

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  Male dorsal
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  Male ventral
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  Female dorsal
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  Female ventral

Biology

It flies during the daylight much like the other hummingbird moths, but it may also continue flight into the evening, particularly if it has found a good source of nectar.

Distribution

The moth is found from the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, southern Ontario, eastern Manitoba, and in western Quebec in Canada. In the United States this species has been located in southern California and Baja California Norte, Illinois, east through most of the United States from Maine to West Virginia to Florida. Also seen in the Cariboo region of British Columbia.

Food plants

The larvae feed on plants including dogbane (Apocynum), honeysuckle, viburnum, hawthorn, snowberry, cherry, mint, and plum.

Regional names

Hemaris diffinis is notable for its colorful nicknames. In certain parts of Appalachia, including West Virginia, Hemaris diffinis is known as "hummingbird moth" or "flying lobster". These nicknames are derived from its supposed physical resemblance to other (genetically unrelated) animals.

Gallery

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  Hemaris diffinis variation
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  Snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis), Lake Junaluska, North Carolina
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  Snowberry moth in Elizabethtown, Kentucky
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  Hemaris diffinis on cosmos
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  Hemaris diffinis nectaring on Abelia
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  Caterpillar
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  Snowberry Clearwing moth (Hemaris diffinis) feeding at Buddleja flower

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hemaris diffinis.

• Silkmoths
• Hemaris diffinis, Bug Guide
• Butterflies and Moths of North America

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