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Is it a Hummingbird?
SPHINX or HAWK MOTHS
Family Sphingidae
Medium to very large moths. Body very robust; abdomen usually
tapering to a sharp point. Wings usually narrow. Proboscis usually well
developed, extremely long in some species that feed in flowers with
deep calyxes.
Adult sphinx moths have wingspans ranging from about 1.25
inches to 4.75 inches. The snowberry clearwing is one of the smallest moths in this
group, while the five-spotted hawk moth is one of the largest. Its larva is the familiar
tomato hornworm. The Carolina sphinx, whose larva is known as the tobacco
hornworm, weighs only one to two grams, but it flaps its wings an astonishing 25 to 30
beats per second. Some sphinx moths have been clocked at speeds as high as 30 mph.
Sphinx moths are often mistaken for hummingbirds and bumblebees because of their
similarities in size, foraging behavior and feeding structures. Most sphinx moths are
active between dusk and dawn, but several species are diurnal, meaning they are
active during the daytime when hummingbirds and bumblebees are also out and about.
When flying, the clearwing moth makes a buzzing sound with its wings, similar to that
of a hummingbird. Like hummingbirds, most sphinx moths fly in a quick, darting manner
and hover over flowers while sipping nectar. Although sphinx moths sometimes land on
a flower while feeding, hummingbirds almost never do. This is a good clue to determine
if you are seeing a moth or a bird.
For pictures of the Sphinx moths in your area go to:
Moths of North America and click on your state then Sphingidae.
See the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine, June 1965, for more information
on the hummingbird moth.
JUST A FEW
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