Take a stroll through a garden or restored patch of native plants, and you might catch a creature zipping skillfully among the blooms much like a tiny-but-fierce hummingbird on the hunt for nectar.
Watch closely, and you might discover one of several so-called hummingbird moths. They’re easiest to spot in mid-July as favorite perennials such as beebalm bloom across the state. These moths can hover midair and feed on nectar with their extended tubular mouths, much like hummingbirds with their long tongues. They also share thick body types, darting flight patterns and a slight hum with wings beating so fast they blur. Tufted fur on the tail end of their bodies can also resemble short tail feathers.
Hummingbird moths, also known as clearwings and bee hawkmoths, are in family Sphingidae (sphinx). They begin as caterpillars that can spin cocoons and overwinter in leaf litter, emerging between late spring and early summer.
Besides sporting brighter colors and patterns than the neutral tones of humble moths that flock to porchlights, hummingbird moths can be seen during the day or at dusk. Watch for them sipping from flowers such as petunias, delphiniums, native phlox, vervain and honeysuckle.
A few to look for in Minnesota include:
Snowberry clearwing: This one most resembles a jumbo bee, with its fuzzy greenish-yellow and black striped body and clear wings framed with black.
Hummingbird clearwing moth: This one has greenish top fur with a rust-colored stripe and white fur on its underside with bold rust-colored borders on its clear wings.
Nessus sphinx moth: This moth has dark brown fur with two yellow stripes and dark wings.
