What is a Hummingbird Moth?
I love this time of year when the hummingbird moths can be seen in the garden, like the one seen here sipping nectar from a Calibrachoa blossom. Strange and wonderful, they do indeed look like tiny hummingbirds in flight, or as my husband puts it: they look like “a 19th century drawing of an alien.” A hummingbird moth, or Hemaris thysbe, is often mistaken for a small hummingbird due to it’s shape, color and flight patterns. Like other butterflies and moths, it uses it’s straw-like proboscis to sip nectar from flowers, but unlike many moths, they are diurnal and are often sighted in gardens, fields, and meadows during daylight hours.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moths have scaleless wings and hairs on their body and end of their abdomen that resemble feathers.
There are two types of North American Hummingbird Moths: the Snowberry Clearwing Moth which looks very much like a bumblebee, and the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth which I am describing here. The Hummingbird Clearwing has a wide range across the US including sightings in Maine, Alaska, Florida and Texas. Here in our Central PA garden, I have never seen more than one at a time. {Edit 8/12: Seeing many more this summer!} I’ve read that these moths have an incredible memory and will return to the same patch of flowers at the same time of day so I wonder if the “one moth” I see is the same one or if there are more in our neighborhood zipping around various gardens throughout the day.
Coming in for a landing! Hummingbird Clearwing Moths travel with their proboscis in a curled position and extend it when approaching a flower.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moths have about a 1.5″ – 2″ wingspan, scaleless wings, and olive-green furry bodies and tufts of hairs at the end of their abdomens which resemble feathers. Their ability to beat their wings up to 85 beats per second allow them to hover and fly in all different directions like that of a true hummingbird.
Hummingbird Moths leave their host plants as a caterpillar and bury themselves in the soil to make their cocoon. The pupa is dark reddish brown and quite large. Our spaniel pups unearthed one earlier this spring and, I’m not going to lie, we were kind of grossed out. (But we put it back.)
Here in the northern parts of the US, Hummingbird Moths produce approximately 2 broods per season using plants such as Lonicera (honeysuckle), Viburnum, Prunus serotina (Wild Cherry), and Crataegus (Hawthorne) as host plants. As adults, they can be found sipping nectar from plants that you would see a hummingbird enjoy, such as these Petunias, Calamintha nepeta (Catmint), Lonicera (Honeysuckle), Ipomoea (Morning Glory) and Buddleia (butterfly bush) among others.
EDIT: For a short video of a hummingbird moth in flight, click HERE.
Lara, I love them too. Great information and wonderful photos. I retweeted it for you. Thanks for the encouragement about my weather.~~Dee
Oh wow .. these are amazing pictures!
Laura, those are beautiful pics! I’ve never heard of this creature before. It looks so fuzzy!
Holy Schmoly, did you take those pictures? WOWWWWW!
Yuppers! The camera did all the work. 🙂
We just saw these amazing creatures for the first time in our garden this year. Didn’t know what they were until we looked them up on the internet. We love watching them. Hope they stick around.
Aren’t they so amazing?! I’m sure that now they’ve discovered your garden they’ll keep coming back. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!
I have two ofthesetonight in my garden in central ND! thought at first they were humingbirds! My husband found 2 on the floor of our garage this winter! That had expired. Will be on the outlook for more.
Wow, it sounds like they have made your garden “home.” You will probably see a whole bunch this summer. You must have a beautiful garden for them to want to stick around! 🙂
We saw one for the first time ever in our front yard this past weekend. At first we thought it was a big bee hovering around our hanging plant. On closer look it seemed to be a hummingbird. It looked like it had a curved “bill” which was a mystery to us since many hummers have straight bills. We looked for it on the internet and found that the bill was actually a proboscis, and we were looking at, not a hummr, but this little hummingbird clear winged moth. Ours was not as colorful as your photo’s, so maybe it was a female. “She” seems to be hanging around a bit, so hopefully we’ll have a family next year of these little guys.Very cool. Thanks for the beautiful photo’s. Our mystery is solved.
That’s wonderful! Aren’t they just amazing creatures? We’re seeing more and more so maybe once they “find” your garden they’ll stick around (and invite their friends, haha). Thank you for your comment!
Thanks for sharing the information on these beautiful little moths. I have 4 of them that have been visiting my bee balm everyday. I thought they were baby hummingbirds until my neighbor told me to look at them more closely.
Oh you’re so welcome! Thank you for your lovely comment! 🙂
I was just out in my garden and came upon this wonderful little creature. Beautiful shot. The colors are so vivid.
Thanks
Thank you Mary!
Thank you for posting the photo’s. I been looking at the photo’s I took with my phone camera today over and over again trying to determine what this “hummingbird looking thing with antenna” was! I’ve never seen such a stange looking thing and to think after living on both US coasts I see one in Iowa! So glad I found your website! Thanks again, I’ll be able to sleep now that I know what it was. 🙂
Haha! I love that story. I had a similar reaction when I first saw one, too. Glad I could help! 🙂
@Hedgerow Rose: Thanks for your explicit description of the spectacular insect that has just decided to move in my garden…Unbelievable! I have planted Pride of Madeira last Fall, and guess what? Not only these fast-growing shrubs are producing beautiful flowers, but tonight I saw about 100 of those insects! First time, ever…I too thought that they were baby hummingbirds, and rushed to check on the Internet to know if exactly my new shrubs might have done so…I had never seen that insect before…as long as they do not devour my plants, I will find them as cute as hummingbirds then…(Unlike the milk weed, and the passing-by monarchs…)
Thank you, Hedge-Rose. elsa
Love the pictures and the website! I saw one of the Snowberry Clearwing Moths in my flower garden, in Wisconsin, a week ago and finally sat down to research it today. It actually startled me a little. All summer, the bumble bees have been buzzing over the catmint, bee balm, butterfly bushes, and sedum. And, the hummingbirds have gotten so brave in the garden that they’ll come to the feeders while I’m weeding; it proves great entertainment for my two cats who lay flat to the window seat (as flat as a 12-pound cat can) with tails going wild when the hummingbirds visit the window-mounted feeders. The Snowberry moth wasn’t quite so thrilled with my presence in the garden, though, once it realized I was there. At first I thought it was a hummingbird when I stood up from weeding, but then it flew in my direction and I thought, “Great, I’ve irritated a bee!” At first I thought I was going to get stung, but then I saw it up close and realized it wasn’t a hummingbird or a bee. I think we startled each other! I hope it will come back, but after that traumatic experience, it just may stay far away. Or, the lure of my flowers may draw it back. Do you know if they’ll eat from the feeders like the hummingbirds (and bees) since they like the same types of nectar-rich flowers?
Hi Danielle! I really enjoyed your comment…thank you so much for sharing your story. I don’t think you have anything to worry about your hummingbird moth not coming back. Since our first sighting, we are seeing more and more; they seem to like to return to the same spots. I’ve never tried feeding them with a hummingbird feeder, but you know I can’t see why that wouldn’t work. Anyone reading this ever try that before? Oh PS: We’re also finding that they like our butterfly bushes (buddleia) the best so if you don’t have one of those yet, you might like to give them a try. Thanks again!
Great photos. I had a Hummingbird Moth visit my blue plumbago plants (Plumbago larpentae)last year. The plants are located about 60 feet from an older, dim 30 foot high street light. This year, I have four. Like the first moth, they come at dusk (6:00pm to 7:30pm) for a brief visit (about 5 minutes). An identical “pair” of moths appear at the same time. The other two single moths show up on different days, in approximately the same time frame, but earlier and not together. The smaller of the single moths (about by half), moves almost twice as fast than the other three and in a longer,very random, but beautiful flight pattern. My best guess is that this moth is female. The other single has more yellow on its body and otherwise is very similar to the pair in size and flight pattern. I am certain that they are not attracted to hummingbird feeders. After trying to attract them to feed from four very small, upright hummingbird feeders mounted on very slender rods and placed within the plumbago bed, I concluded they are not drawn to the color red and that the nectar was too far below the fake red flower portal. I removed the fake red flower portal and camouflaged the feeders with both low profile fake and real plumbago flowers and leaves. This produced zero results. Also, I note that, unlike hummingbirds, they only spend a miniscule part of a second at each plumbago flower. To me this seems to be consistent with not using a hummingbird feeder. I did not try using a butterfly feeder. This would probably work.
Thank you John! That’s really helpful info. It’s very kind of you to take the time to share!
SAW A BEAUTIFUL HUMMINGBIRD MOTH ON OCT. 29/12. I HAVE SEEN ON A FEW YEARS IN A ROW BUT NENER THIS LATE IN THE YEAR.IT WAS AT MY WINDOW BOX GETTING NECTER FROM THE CHRYANTHEMUMS, WHAT A DELIGHT AND PERFECT VIEW.
Truly wonderful!
OK, Please tell me, is it a hummingbird or is it a moth? I have two that visit me right before dusk.
Hi Kathy, I’m not sure what you have visiting you but the critter described in this post is a type of moth. Thanks for stopping!
I think I have one of these visiting me each evening. Its almost to dark out to be sure what it is for sure. But from everything I just read above I’m thinking its a humming bird moth. Has anyone ever had one try to land on them? This one follows us around the yard. And got in the little blue toy car with my infant last night. Are they harm full at all?
Hi Amber, sounds like you made a friend! And no, not harmful. 🙂 Birds & Blooms has a nice write-up about them HERE.
We live in Brentwood Ca. Which is 45 east of San Francisco .. We have a honeysuckle that is 10 ft tall, 6ft wide and 10ft long and thought we had baby hummingbirds.. I was so excited and ran inside to share the info.. Kathy came back in and confirmed my thought of there being a pair! But thought their were differences that made them a different species of hummingbirds so I googled tiny hummingbirds and found your page on this magnificent creature! Just wanted to say they were seen here in our garden in California!! And they stayed past 845 pm our magnificent honeysuckle just gained two more reasons to it’s greatness! These being by far the best reason so far! I’m in love with hummingbirds and this is my new love! Thanks for the clarification. Do you know what geographical areas are their favorite? Lisa
Hi Lisa, thank you for your visit! 🙂 How lovely to hear that you have hummingbird moths in California and I’m so glad my post was able to help you identify these little creatures. People are often so surprised when they discover they are not actually birds but moths! I know I was when I first discovered them. Now that they have “found” your garden, they’ll probably turn up in greater numbers year after year–we’re finding that to be true in our Pennsylvania garden. For more information about these remarkable insects, I found this site to be very helpful. Enjoy!
I live in Kelowna Canada and saw this hummingbird moth for the first time.. Right at dusk, I thought it was a hummingbird at first, it let me get my face within 6 inches until I finally saw it was an insect.. Not scared of me at all.. Very beautiful.
Wonderful… 🙂
Me and my wife saw one of these at the UT Botanical Gardens today. We had never seen one and looked it up as soon as we returned home. Truly mesmerizing just watching it go from flower to flower.
Glad you got to experience that–they really are mesmerizing!
Had what seemed to be a pair of them at the bee balm flowers in the gardens.Very cool they would flutter right over our hands to get to the next flower. We live in northeast Ohio.First time seeing them, you almost miss the moths at first glance because they look like large bees.
That’s true!
I just had one visit at our house this evening before dark,so I couldn’t see the colors.It was happy flying all around my colorful petunia & stopping for a bit on the hanging basket,here in West Mi.They are so cute.I love nature. Usually see one a year in the summer.Wish here were more.Not seeing many butterflies, or hummingbirds either.
Hi Rhonda, my mom (she lives in OH and I in PA) were just saying how we have hardly seen any butterflies this season at all. Saw hummingbird moths but not as many. Something to do with the wacky late freezes we were getting? As for hummingbirds, we were surprised to see a mating pair in our garden this year but that’s unusual–we rarely see those, either.
We’ve had one here in northern Michigan for the past month or so. I had no idea of what it was until looking it up on the internet. Fascinating little creature!
I live 40+ miles west of Chicago and saw these busy little cuties with my petunias, then several of them out front with the hostas at dusk tonight. They were so quick I wasn’t sure what they were until I got a photo and checked it out on the web. I’ve watched insects and birds for many years around here and never seen them before. About 2 1/2-3 1/2″ wingspan, just beautiful, and I saw a bee today too (hardly any of them around this year).
I live in St Charles Ill. and work at the V.A. hosp. in Chicago. I get up early 4:00 am to start my day, I had just let the dog out to do his duty when I seen what I thought was a humming bird traversing thru my hostas, bloom to bloom. Thought it was strange to see this bird in the pitch dark. Then is when I realized it was to small to be a hummingbird and not the brite colors I am accustomed to seeing. What a fascinating insect, something I never seen or knew Existed. I will be wearing my glasses tomorrow morning and have a flash light at hand just in case the little fellow desides to make a reappearance.
I live in Monroe Wi and just spotted a hummingbird moth in my garden! I thought maybe it was a baby hummingbird and my son said it was a moth…I guess we are both right, kind of! I researched them on the internet and feel very fortunate that one chose our garden!!! I LOVE hummingbirds so this is very cool!
Wow, spotted one yesterday for the 1st time, what an awesome creature.
I am pretty sure I spotted on yesterday here in Deland Fl. Never seen one before either! I’ve seen hummingbirds once or twice and thought this must be a baby so wanted to do more research on them, which brought me to your page. Tried to get a pic but by the time I got my camera out he circled my legs and was gone. Great site.
thanks!
Thank you Judy, Scott, Ray, Melissa, Ed and Sandra for stopping by! Glad you are seeing these beautiful creatures in your neck of the woods. 🙂
Great, beautiful photos! Found this post while trying to identify what looked like several odd looking baby humming birds feeding on our lemon blossoms! Thank you! There was an actual humming bird at the same time, and I was trying to figure out why she wasn’t trying to protect her babies! lol. Now I know.
What a neat story! That was must have been fun to watch!
Just wanted you to know they are in Laughlin, NV. We saw one today at our humming bird feeder. It was feeding at the same time as a hummingbird so we thought at first it must be it’s offspring. My husband didn’t believe there was such a thing as a hummingbird moth so I found this sight and showed it to him. We were both so excited it was the first sighting for both of us. And we have pictures if you would like to see them. We took them with our phone so they are not as good as yours.
How wonderful you’re seeing hummingbird moths in NV! I’m so glad that this post was helpful to you! 🙂
First time my wife or I had ever seen anything like this. First i thought it was a bumblebee. I was so confused I ran inside to get my wife to take a picture. We both agreed it had to be some sort if hummingbird. My 10 Yr old comes over and says that is a moth. We come inside and type in hummingbird moth and Viola! Feeding off creeping phlox in Bixby OK.
What a great story! I love that your 10 year old had it all figured out already. 😉 Kids are awesome. Thank you for your visit!
I just found a hummingbird moth in my garden are they usually located in north Texas? Are they part of the bird or moth family? It’s so weird looking
Hi Jillyan, the hummingbird moth is pretty widespread across N. America, and it is an insect–not a type of bird. You can find some more information via the United States Forest Service HERE. Thank you for your visit! 🙂
Thanks for the info.
I just saw one yesterday, while pulling weeds off my flowers. It was the first time I’ve ever seen one. I thought it was going to land on my hand, it was that close. Flew, and acted, like a humming bird, but looked like large moth. Looking forward to its return.
Awesome!
I just saw one yesterday on my mom’s butterfly bush. We also thought it was a hummingbird until I looked it up. It was very pretty. We live in southwest Louisiana.
I saw one just before dark last night in central Illinois. Thought it was a hummingbird but the size and proboscis bothered me. Thanks for the great pictures. Now I’m going to have to try to capture (by photo) the little critter.
We have four of these lovely creatures in my flower bed, thought they were baby hummingbirds at first! Live in PA.
we have hummingbird moths this time of year in southeast Arizona sierra vista az
Live just outside of Niagara Falls NY saw one of these creatures in my million bells thought it was a small hummingbird but upon closer examination realized it was an insect.
Went looking on the internet and found your site. Never would have guessed it was a moth! Hope it returns so I can get a picture.
I just noticed two of these little ‘moths’ visiting my Garden Phlox. I am wondering if they ‘sting’ or bite in some manner if you disturb them?
Nope, they do not sting or bite. See the links provided in post for more info on these fascinating creatures!
yesterday I was at my friends house. I got there early so I went walking in her flower garden. I saw the most unusual bug flying like a hummingbird, getting nectar from flower to flower. I studied that thing for a good 10 min. Well when I got home I searched the internet for that bug. When I found your web site the mystery was solved . I feel privledged to have watched such a beautiful creature. Thank you for your very nice video for all to see. Beverly
Thank you Beverly! 🙂
I live in North Al. and for about a month
I would see these big bugs flying around
my Petunias late every evening. I looked them up and found them to be Moths. I have never seen one in my life, and I am 70 years old.Beautiful and I hope they come back next year.
Thanks so much for the info! I was visiting Fallingwater in eastern Pa. today and saw a few. Fascinating and really odd looking. I got a few good photos and thanks to your article, I will be able to identify them!
Thank you for the beautiful pictures! we just saw our first one today on our butterfly bush in Western North Carolina (Blue Ridge Mtns). I couldn’t take a pictures because I couldn’t stop staring at it 🙂 What a beauty! Thanks again!
Thank you Linda! So glad I could help! 🙂
My husband just took pictures & video of the Bumblebee Moth types in our front yard(cottage garden style), visiting our swamp(ornamental)milkweed, & loving all our bee balm.Your shots are lovely, we’ll have to keep an eye out for this type here in Lansing Mich.
Thank you for the gorgeous pictures. We live near Charlotte, NC and were at Lowes Garden Center shopping. All of a sudden I saw one of these and thought it was a tiny hummingbird! Took a picture to look it up when getting home found your pics! I’ve never see one before..amazing,thank you for your pics now I know what they are!! Beautiful creatures!!!
My hubs and I have been seeing so many of these moths in our prairie garden here on the high~desert of Arizona! This is the first year we have had them and they sure look like small hummingbirds. We have them dancing between our rose gardens and perenniel gardens, even at our hummingbird feeder!
Spotted a Hummingbird hawkmoth 3 years ago in our garden, then today delighted to see another one, but this one was less colourful and smaller in body size, but it’s actions were the same never the less.Also it flitted between flowers quite quickly. Fatastic. I live in Dorset on the south coast of England.
O my Gosh! I have lived in my home, here in Ventura California more than 10 years and for the first time seeing 100’s of these hummingbird moths. They fly in all at once, covering my sweet memories purple flower bush. I also feed hummingbirds all year, have not seen one eat from a feeder. They arrive every evening at the same time and leave in a large group…again same time! WOW! The only reason I realized it was a moth is , one came into my house. It actually flew to me, seeming to ask me to help him out! They seem to be intelligent!?! Thanks for the info~
That’s a neat story! I like to think they are very intelligent creatures, too. 🙂
54 years old and discovering this tiny little moth. 2 days ago now there are 3 in this patch of old bee balm. Hi have been mesmerised watching them float from one to the other. I would love to keep them around how do i do so does anyone know. I’m going to divide the B balm because it has really multiplied in two years I don’t know what other flowers and likes. I have butterfly bushes, mooonflowers several lilies, vinca. Are these are all things that will help keep it around? I have made 2 video’s of them.
Hi Debra! In our garden, the more we planted nectar-rich flowers, the more these moths increased in numbers. Just keep doing what you’re doing…it sounds like it’s working! 🙂
My husband and I saw our first moth yesterday and today we have two. Thanks to you we know what they are. Quite strange looking when you’ve never before seen these guys. Now we are thrilled to be lucky enough to have them in our yard. They love our abelia shrubs. We have one of these shrubs planted at our front porch and we can sit in our comfortable chairs and watch the show. We live in Franklin Ky.
Hi Linda! It’s funny, I was just at the garden center looking at their Abelia and wondering if they would attract pollinators, and then I see your comment…so thank you! 🙂
Hi!! I love your pictures. Just had about 8 hummingbird moths zipping all around our lantana which is huge and beautiful!! They seem to come at dusk for us here in Jacksonville beach, FL. I pulled my 6 year old daughter out of the shower to come watch them. They let you watch them from so close up, it’s amazing!! They also drank from our milk weed, and we have four ‘clocks, trumpet vines and plenty more for them so hoping to see them again tonight! So happy to find so many people enjoying nature and these cute creatures!
Hi Dena, welcome! Loved your story about your moths and chuckled when I read how you pulled your daughter outside to see them. Sounds like something I would do! 😉
We have them out on the Left Coast as well. Spotted a momma and her brood voraciously devouring sweet pollen from one of our Improved Meyer Lemons last year. I thought, until tonight when you “learned me,” that it was a momma hummingbird and her brood. However, tonight, I spotted momma on that same lemon tree again. And I found your site and the truth about one year later. If momma likes the lemon she must love all the citrus in the yard. I don’t mind. My wife detests moths, but Momma is a pollinator. She and future breeds have a home here. With the problems we’ve experienced with Colony Collapse Disorder and honeybees, we need all the pollinators we can get!
Saw several of these hummingbird moths last year and more this years in Fredericksburg,Va.I had Never seen one before 2015 they are amazing and beautiful! Took a pic of a small one. I have seen so many new and interesting insects I have never seen before in this area.
I saw my very first one today. I took a video and lots of pictures. At first I thought it was a big bumblebee but after zooming in on it I thought it was a hummingbird. As did my husband and son. But after researching I realized it was a Hummingbird Moth. They are so cool. Wish I could post pics.
Thanks for the information. I currently have about 10 of them on my bee balm. I thought they were some mutant bee.
That made me chuckle! I’m so glad this post was helpful to you, Juanita! 🙂