Clearwing Hummingbird Moth I saw one of these insects yesterday WOW!
For the first time in my life, I saw an interesting insect called a clearwing Hummingbird Moth I knew they existed but never expected to ever see one since I felt they were more of a warm climate insect and we live in Canada.
"Hemaris thysbe, commonly known as the hummingbird clearwing, is a moth of the Sphingidae (hawkmoth) family. Coloration varies between individuals, but typically the moth is olive green and burgundy on its back, and white or yellow and burgundy on the underside. Its wings are transparent with a reddish-brown border. It has light-colored legs, which combined with the lack of striping on the underside is diagnostic. Beating its wings rapidly, H. thysbe hovers to collect nectar from a variety of flowers. The combination of its appearance and its behavior commonly leads to it being confused with a hummingbird or bumblebee." Wikipedia
Scientific name: Hemaris thysbe
Higher classification: Hemaris
Rank: Species
Photo by Judy Gallagher
Photo by Mike Boone