The Hummingbird Moth
The Hummingbird Moth is not a hummingbird at all. It is a moth. They are sometimes called a Sphinx Moth or a Hawk Moth. The hummingbird moth can sometimes be mistaken for hummingbirds or even baby hummingbirds, however, baby hummingbirds do not fly. And those little feathers out of place on the top of its head are not feathers, they are antenna. Another clue is if the creature allows you to get closer to get a second look without giving you an earful and zipping away at the speed of light, it is probably a hummingbird moth. Also, if it has brown striping or yellow and black striping along its back (and it's not a bumble bee), it's most likely a hummingbird moth.
The hummingbird moth belongs to the family of moths technically call the Sphingidae family or Sphinx family of moths. A hummingbird moth can be considered to be a medium to large moth with a wingspan of five (5) or more inches. They tend to fly strong and fast like a hummingbird with a rapid wing beats. The hummingbird moth is usually active at dusk. However, they have been known to be active throughout the day traveling from flower to flower, much like a hummingbird. The hummingbird moth will feed on a flower much like a hummingbird. But instead of a beak and tongue to lap the nectar, they have little straws to sip the nectar from a flower. These little straws are called a proboscis.
There are many different types of Hummingbird Moths. These can include the Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth, the Tersa Sphinx Hummingbird Moth, and the White-lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moth
Since the World of Hummingbirds focuses on hummingbirds, we felt it was inappropriate for us to have a lot of information on the hummingbird moth. If you would like additional information on this fascinating little hummingbird moth, please utilize the Google Search Box below. There are tons of very informative websites out there about the hummingbird moth.
