Snowberry Clearwing: What It Is and When to See It

Hemaris diffinis · Sphingidae

The Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) is a day-flying sphinx moth that looks like a fuzzy black-and-yellow bumblebee with clear wings and hovers at flowers like a small hummingbird. It flies mainly in July and August and is recorded most in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Texas, and North Carolina. As a sphinx moth it feeds as an adult, sipping nectar by day, so you will find it at sunlit flowers rather than at a porch light.

Peak months
July, August
Most recorded in
Virginia, Maryland, New York

How to identify a Snowberry Clearwing

The Snowberry Clearwing is the bumblebee mimic of the clearwing moths. Its furry body is yellow and black, often with a black band across the abdomen, and a distinctive black stripe runs through the eye and down the side - a handy field mark. The wings are mostly transparent with dark borders, having lost their scales soon after emergence. Wingspan is about 1.25 to 2 inches. It hovers and darts at flowers with a hum, which fools people into thinking it is a bee or a baby hummingbird. Its close look-alike, the Hummingbird Clearwing, is olive-green and burgundy rather than black-and-yellow and lacks that bold eye stripe.

Where it lives

This is the most widespread of the eastern clearwings, ranging across much of the United States and southern Canada in gardens, meadows, woodland edges, and open fields. Open records place it most often in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Texas, and North Carolina. Wherever nectar flowers grow near its host plants, you have a chance at it. Check the wider moth list for Virginia or Maryland.

When it flies

Adults peak in July and August. In the warmer parts of its range the season runs longer with two broods, so southern observers may see it across more of the year. Like its relatives it is a day-flier, active in warm sunshine rather than darkness.

Caterpillars, host plants, and life cycle

The caterpillar is a green hornworm with a tail horn, and as the name suggests it feeds on snowberry, plus honeysuckle, dogbane, and related plants. When mature it drops to the ground and pupates in a thin cocoon among leaf litter. The pupa overwinters, and there are one to two generations per year depending on latitude, with adults emerging to nectar in the warm months.

How to see one

No blacklight needed - this moth is out by day. Watch nectar-rich flowers like bee balm, lilac, phlox, thistle, and butterfly bush on warm sunny afternoons, and look for what seems like a bee that hovers and backs away from each bloom. Because it is day-active, it does not come to UV light the way nocturnal moths do, so an evening light sheet is the wrong tool here. To see which species are flying near you right now, day or night, run the Tonight's Moths predictor, and if you are just starting out, our mothing for beginners guide will help.

When Snowberry Clearwings are recorded (by month)

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F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

From 2,826 open-licensed GBIF records. Want what's flying at your spot tonight? Open the live tool →

Frequently asked

Is the Snowberry Clearwing a bee?
No. It is a day-flying sphinx moth that mimics a bumblebee. Its yellow-and-black fuzz and clear wings fool predators and people alike, but it has a coiled tongue and moth antennae, not a stinger.
Does the Snowberry Clearwing fly at day or night?
By day. It hovers at flowers in warm sunshine, so you will not typically see it at a night light.
When does it fly?
Peak flight is July and August, with a longer, often two-brood season in warmer southern areas.
How is it different from the Hummingbird Clearwing?
The Snowberry Clearwing is black-and-yellow like a bumblebee with a black stripe through the eye, while the Hummingbird Clearwing is olive-green and burgundy and lacks that stripe.
What do Snowberry Clearwing caterpillars eat?
The green hornworm caterpillars feed on snowberry, honeysuckle, and dogbane, then pupate in a thin cocoon in the leaf litter.
Where is it most common?
Open records show it most often in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Texas, and North Carolina, but it is widespread across the 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.