I was blessed to be visited by 2 different hummingbird moths today in my petunia patch. One had clear wings and a fuzzy tail and the other had solid wings with 2 yellow bands around the abdomen. I didn't know they came out in the daytime - or are these something else?
Does anyone know their name?
Here is the banded one . . .
Thanks!
Onalee
Here's the clear winged one . ..
monterrey has photographed them in the daytime in California.
They are too cute! I've only had one and it looked more like your 2nd pic. I think that's what it was called too "clear-winged" hummingbird moth. I have some petunias on my porch in a pot. Maybe I should put them where I can see them. :)
Sheesh. Now I gotta get petunias, too!
They love cleomes, too...
Well, I think those petunias adorning the steps up to the parking lot are just going to have to come down to my front patio where I can enjoy the hummingbird moths too! I love them! They like all of my salvias too, but those can't be moved to my patio LOL
-Julie
I was just so surprised to see them in the middle of the day!! I've never seen these particular ones before; I'll have to try and figure out what their host plants are to make sure I have plenty of it for them! They were so cute!
Onalee
jnana - I don't think that I've ever seen this kind in my visits to South Florida, but on the east coast (West Palm area) I have seen the larger kind - like the one in the first picture of Zarabeth's "jeweled visiotrs" thread. On the west coast (Naples area) I have seen a few smaller kinds including one very "streamlined" kind that is a light tan color. If I find it, I'll provide a link.
I think pic #1 is the Nessus sphinx moth, Amphion floridensis. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/fl/1021.htm The Moths of North America site pic isn't very good, but the description mentions those two yellow bands on the abdomen visible in your pic.
I think pic #2 is one of the genus Hemaris, the clearwing moths, as Konkreteblond mentioned. According to MNA, there's 3 species in Florida, but sometimes MNA misses some species. I can't tell which one species this is.
Check this out to see how many hawk moths, sphinx moths, and hummingbird moths are listed for Florida. (family Sphingidae) http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/fl/toc.htm#sphingidae
I think Zarebeth's moth is Hyles lineata, white-lined sphinx. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/mn/1066.htm
I just wrote an article on moths for work so I spent too much time on the Moths of North America website!!!
This message was edited May 21, 2005 11:54 PM
wow, those are all great shots. Gorgeous moths.
Thanks for the info, Dawn!! I appreciate it!!
Onalee
