Last night I was taking a photo of Insignis pink and this humming bird came up and was trying to "sip" from it. I thought it was a bug and tried to shoo it away. It kept coming back and then I realized what it was. When I took the photo, the flash scared it away and it didn't come back.
Linda,
I have a ton of those in my yard at night. If you look closely at them though they are actually night flying moths. I don't know the common name but I am about 98% sure that they come from the tomato horn worm. Tobaco worms produce the same thing but with different colors than the one in your pic
They are very easily confused as hummers becuase they can fly backwards and pause in flight and do somewhat resemble the birds in body size and appearance. As well as having wings that beat like a hummer.
When I first started seeing them years ago I thought to myself what are these hummigbirds doing flying at night and then I managed to catch one. They are real neat up close. The body has black,brown and hot vibrant pink on it.
Just try to catch one one time and look at it closely.
They're really neat. Good luck catching one though because they can fly just as fast as a hummer also.
My grandmother has a book on moths and butterflies i'll go get it in a while and try to post a pic up close of this moth.
Could it be the hummingbird moth? Very awesome picture! I have slapped at my fair share of hummingbirds then felt awfully guilty when I realized they were not bugs. :)
I thought it was strange, it happened so fast. It sounded just like a hummer (the "tweet" and "buzz") and then it was gone.
Try doing a search for 'hummingbird moth'. Those little guys confuse people all the time. :)
I found your hummer. If you could catch one this is what it would look like. When you click on the link and the map opens click on SC. Scroll down until you see the word sphingdae. The first name you come to then will be pink spotted hawk moth. That's your hummer. You're right though they have that hum when they fly and evrything.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/mothsusa.htm
if you look closely at the flyer in your photo you can see the pink lines on it's back
look real close just behind the right wing!
I just did a print (and put my glasses on). Thanks for the information. I've always said "the smartest people are at this site." I can see a difference in the wings, I still think it's a neat shot.
It's a really great shot. You were so lucky to get one. Those things fly about 100mph!
I ya'll. That's why I love DGs site. I can learn so much for other real people. Great picture Ihughes. I have never seen one but will be watching for them now.
I always called that moth a sphinx moth but after i looked at the hyperlink I can see by the coloration that i have been wrong all these years. First time!!!!!!!!!Now i will have to remember to call it Pink Spotted Moth.
Very nice shot of the brug bloom and the moth IHughes. I am reasonably sure that they are the adult Tomato worm. Donna
I get those in the garage from time to time and at first glance I always think they are hummers that got trapped in there! I still rescue them, even if they aren't "real" hummers.
Linda, that is a great picture. We had one that we watched the other evening about dusk and it was just outside the window by the kitchen table. Haven't had a lot of them this year because I worked hard at keeping the hornworms off the tomatoes last year and again this year.
Do hummingbirds feed from burgmansias?
That is an interesting picture. You really have to look with a magnifying glass to see that the moth isn't a hummer. It is not the hummingbird clearwing moth,however.
Flicker, a species of hummingbird in Ecuador does feed on Sanquinea brugmansias...called sword billed Hummingbirds.Their beaks are up to 9 inches long and curved.Some hummingbirds will also pierce the sides of the corolla to feed.
Wow, I clicked on that link and I never knew there were so many different types of moths just in the US. I'm not certain, but I've always heard that the moth that comes from the green horned tomato worm is the 'Luna Moth'. They are green and only come out at night. They are attracted to light. And they don't have a mouth. Hmmmmmmmm
I got a shot of a hummingbird moth a few weeks ago. Here's the link to the post, does this look like yours?
http://davesgarden.com/t/395440/
rutholive,I think the word sphinx is used in the scientific name for this species of moth
Here's a close up for you. I have been wondering why I haven't been seeing many of them and found out why early sunday morning. They are all over my Red Cypress Vines. There were 8 of them at 6:30 a.m. just before daylight.
I was surprised when you said that have the "tweet" of real hummingbirds. However, if you look closely at the original photo, you can see the antennae.....
I've seen a couple of discussions on this moth on DG in the recent past. Here's another one with a nice picture of one not in flight:
http://davesgarden.com/t/395773/
Peter
Thanks Peter (and all). The last one, White lined Sphinx, must be it. I've been seeing those black caterpillars with white stripe for the past several weeks. I guess my yard must be full of them and this one was just attracted to my brug.
Linda, How you ever caught a picture of that thing in flight i'll never know.I had one just now working my coral glow and i couldn't move from flower to flower fast enough to keep up with it.
It moves like lightning from one flower to the next,goes all the way up inside and then backs out and goes on to the next one.
I don't know what you acll that little thing that they unwind to gather the nectar with but it must be 6 inches long on this moth.
I just happened to be there, taking a picture of the flower, and it came up. It was strange. I don't see them in the daylight. I did see some of the black caterpillers with white stripes a few weeks ago. The link above says they feed on Datura. Guess that's better than Brugs.
I keep looking,and I say this is the bird,I have the Moth,and love them,I just see such a clear picture of the wing,I don't see a moth,IMHO.
I just love all these pictures you all posted and the links. Too cool. I have never seen one of these moths. I wonder if they live in California.
Kell,they are here all the time,new to this Mi. Boy.I love how calm they are,that is why I say bird,they are not skittish here,will be probing plants while you work on them.
I'm WRONG,stand up Gals,a guy saying he is wrong,I had to blow up the pic to see antennae!
What a shot!
This message was edited Sep 16, 2003 10:21 PM
LOL Root! You are never wrong, just mislead!
for the past 2 nights i've had just one,there's usually more but just this one for the past 2 nights working every single open brug flower that he can get into.
It'll start on one side of the yard makes it's way around to the other side and then start again. I think they fly all night also because I usually start seeing them right around nightfall and they are still out when I go to work at 5:45 am.
I had a real Hummer trying to get into my CDW Brug the other day but I don't think he was having much success but I enjoyed watching him trying to do so.
