Sat 16 Jul 2005
I noticed another species of hummingbird hawkmoth in the garden this afternoon. It’s a bit bigger than the kind I photographed yesterday. It also seems to fly a little bit slower, so I was able to get some pretty nice shots.
Lepidoptera: Sphingidae
Pellucid hawk moth = oosukashiba = Cephonodes hylas
July 31st, 2005 at 10:50 am
I saw my first hummingbird hawkmoth today, kind of odd looking creature. Is this actually an insect. Is it harmful? Any information you can share about this creature would be appreciated.
Thank you
July 31st, 2005 at 10:50 pm
Hi Michele,
Yes, this is an insect – a kind of moth. It looks remarkably like a hummingbird and, just like the bird, it also feeds on the nectar of flowers. Unlike most other moths, these ones fly during the day, although evening is the best time to see them. It’s totally harmless, so don’t be afraid of the noise it makes – that’s just its wings flapping! The caterpillars will eat some of your garden plants but it’s worth giving up a few leaves to get these beautiful moths flying around, don’t you think?
Thanks for looking at my new web site and leaving a comment. You’re the first person to leave a comment!
Best wishes,
Nigel
November 7th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
i couldn’t figure out what i was looking at the other day when i saw these little guys. how cool are they!