Hummingbird Moths

Hummingbird Moth On Bee Balm
This is a Hummingbird Clear Wing (Hemaris thysbe) on on (Monarda). They fly and move just like hummingbirds, and can remain suspended in the air in front of a flower while they unfurl their long tongues and insert them in flowers to sip their nectar. They even emit an audible hum like hummingbirds.
Bee Balm, Oswego Tea, Bergamot, Horsebalm Botanical Name-Monarda didyma, is in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. In the language of flowers, Monarda symbolizes compassion and sympathy. Bee Balm leaves and flowers and stems are used in alternative medicine. 

 Hummingbird Moth On Bee Balm

Hummingbird Moth On Bee Balm

Hummingbird Moth And A Bee On Bee Balm

A clearwing humming bird moth and a bee buzzing around the bee balm in my garden. There are four species of hummingbird moths in North America. This is a Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis), female. Unlike most moths, Hummingbird moths fly during the day. They fly and move just like hummingbirds. Like them, they can remain suspended in the air in front of a flower while they unfurl their long tongues and insert them in flowers to sip their nectar. They even emit an audible hum like hummingbirds. Like most moths they have a very long tongue which they carry rolled under their chins and that they use to reach the nectar of long-necked flowers. Hummingbird moths are members of the sphinx moth family (Sphingidae), which have heavy bodies and long front wings. The wings of hummingbird moths are clear, with a black or brown border, and are nearly invisible when they fly. Males have a flared tail like that of a hovering hummingbird.
This photo was Awarded Capture My Vermont - Photo of the Day, for September 4, 2015.

Hummingbird Moth On Yarrow

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