Hummingbird Clearwing: What It Is and When to See It

Hemaris thysbe · Sphingidae

The Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) is a chunky, day-flying sphinx moth with clear wing panels and an olive-and-burgundy body that hovers at flowers exactly like a tiny hummingbird. It flies mainly in July and August and is recorded most in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Maryland. Unlike the giant silk moths, this sphinx feeds as an adult, sipping nectar through a long tongue, so you will spot it by day at garden flowers rather than at a night light.

Peak months
July, August
Most recorded in
New York, Vermont, New Hampshire

How to identify a Hummingbird Clearwing

This moth is built like a bumblebee crossed with a hummingbird. It has a plump, fuzzy body that is olive-green to golden on top and reddish-burgundy below, with a flared tuft at the tail. Its wings are largely transparent - clear panes edged with a reddish-brown border - because the scales drop off soon after the adult emerges. Wingspan is roughly 1.5 to 2.2 inches. In flight it hovers, darting from bloom to bloom with an audible hum, which is why people constantly mistake it for a real hummingbird. The very similar Snowberry Clearwing is more black-and-yellow, like a bumblebee, with a black stripe through the eye.

Where it lives

The Hummingbird Clearwing favors the eastern United States and southern Canada - meadows, forest edges, gardens, and old fields. Open records place it most often in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Maryland. Because it loves nectar plants, flower-rich backyards and field margins are prime spots. See the broader moth lineup in New York or Virginia.

When it flies

Adults peak in July and August, though in warmer areas you may see them earlier and across a longer stretch with more than one brood. Crucially, this is a day-flying moth: look on warm, sunny mornings and afternoons when flowers are open, not after dark.

Caterpillars, host plants, and life cycle

The caterpillar is a typical hornworm - green with a pale tail horn - and feeds on honeysuckle, viburnum, hawthorn, snowberry, and related plants. After feeding it pupates in a cocoon spun in leaf litter at the base of the plant. In the north there is usually one generation a year; farther south there can be two. The pupa overwinters and adults emerge to nectar the following warm season.

How to see one

This is the rare moth you do not need a night light for. Plant or find nectar-rich flowers - bee balm, phlox, lilac, butterfly bush, thistle - and watch on warm sunny days. It hovers in front of each bloom, unrolling its long tongue, and holds still long enough for a good look. Because it is day-active it will not come to a UV sheet the way nocturnal moths do. New to this? Our mothing for beginners guide covers day-flying species too, and you can run the predictor to see if it is active near you now.

When Hummingbird Clearwings are recorded (by month)

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F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

From 2,033 open-licensed GBIF records. Want what's flying at your spot tonight? Open the live tool →

Frequently asked

Is the Hummingbird Clearwing a moth or a hummingbird?
It is a moth - a day-flying sphinx moth in the family Sphingidae. Its hovering flight and humming wings make it look remarkably like a tiny hummingbird, but it has antennae, six legs, and a coiled tongue.
Does it fly during the day or at night?
During the day. The Hummingbird Clearwing is active in sunlight, hovering at flowers, so you will not usually find it at a night light.
When is the best time to see one?
Peak flight is July and August on warm, sunny days. In warmer regions the season can be longer with more than one brood.
How do I tell it from a Snowberry Clearwing?
The Hummingbird Clearwing is olive-green and burgundy, while the Snowberry Clearwing is black-and-yellow like a bumblebee and has a black stripe running through the eye.
What do its caterpillars eat?
The green hornworm caterpillars feed on honeysuckle, viburnum, hawthorn, and snowberry, then pupate in a cocoon in the leaf litter.
Where is the Hummingbird Clearwing most common?
Open records show it most often in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Maryland, across the eastern US and southern Canada.

More moths: Ailanthus Webworm Moth · White-lined Sphinx · Spongy Moth · Banded Tussock Moth · Polyphemus Moth · Virginian Tiger Moth · Salt Marsh Moth · Luna Moth · Hickory Tussock Moth · Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth

Per-species open-licensed GBIF records (CC0/CC-BY), aggregated from the precomputed index. Months and states reflect where the species is most recorded, not a complete range. Butterflies excluded. GBIF download DOI: 10.15468/dl.3w3w76.