I was out snapping photos of the blooms, when i saw this thing, that honestly looked like a 'flying shrimp" - i kid you not.
Various shades of brown, buzzing all over, and it eventually landed on a Butterfly Bush.
i took about 10 images, from about 10' away... this was the best I got.
any ideas? i've never seen anything like it.
yep, it's a hummingbird moth... different one than the one that tomato hornworms turn into, I think... nifty!
I had one buzzing around my phlox the other day, but by the time I got back with the camera, he was gone. Nice capture!
thanks Jill. IT was very cool looking.
This is one of the clear-winged hummingbird moths in the genus Hemaris, such as Hemaris thysbe - see http://tinyurl.com/23h2jvc for images.
thank you suunto.
Hard to photograph them with their wings flapping so quickly all the time. Here's a picture which gives you an idea of the clear wing these critters have http://www.junponline.com/Animals/Wildlife1/HummingbirdMoth.php
Love those butterfly bushes for attracting visitors. I had one for 1 year and butterfly's and hummingbirds liked it (unfortunetely it didn't come back next year).
Never heard anyone call them shrinp-like but I suppose they do bear a resemblance!
This message was edited Oct 10, 2010 6:16 AM
