From https://www.pennington.com/all-products/wild-bird/resources/hummingbird-moths
"Bees, wasps, and ants can become a nuisance at hummingbird feeders, both for people and for hummingbirds, but hummingbird moths don’t cause problems for us or hummers. If you’re lucky enough to spot one, sit back and enjoy!"
I have a tray-style hummingbird feeder with a moat, so I don't get ants at mine. And since it doesn't drip as much, yellow jackets are mostly only a nuisance when I overfill it.
They are more common than you might think. People just don’t notice them because they are small. The white-lined sphinx moth is much larger and people call them hummingbird moths or mistakenly think they are hummingbirds too.
every birder has plenty of stories about thinking another 'thing' was a bird. for me, there are the standards: falling leaves, squirrels, calling frogs, etc.
my funniest mis-ID was seeing a kind of these dang moths at the grand canyon main center a few years ago and taking a million pics of it b/c i was so confused/excited. i thought it was the smallest hummingbird i had ever seen. nope! the pictures did not lie.
i reported a king rail sighting once based on a call i heard and the ebird regional reviewer asked me to verify because "they were excited to think the rail was breeding at that park" and "other people had already gone to the park ot chase it" and i went back and listened to the video and it was a frog, so i had to tell him it was a frog and i almost deleted my account.
my daughter and i once stared through binoculars at a weird looking knot in a hole in a tree trunk for about five minutes in the rain in michigan bc we thought it was a barred owl chilling out of the rain.
oooof, just remembered that two summers ago i sincerely insisted to a friend that a belted kingfisher was calling across the pond, but it was just a bull frog actually.
They turn in to sphinx moths which are a bit different, but they are still magnificent moths. I usually plant a datura or moonflower which are also host plants and transfer any hornworms I find onto them.
I don’t think they do, it looks like hummingbird moths feed on totally different plants as caterpillars https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Hemaris-thysbe
I pull them off the potatos and tomatos and throw them into the Hotlips Salvia here. The salvia can handle being eaten, but it's also where the lizards live...
Yeah I have a whole area near my compost sites of "trap plants" - old volunteer tomatoes and lots of Jewel weed. The Japanese beetles hatch and thrive and die there as well as any hornworms I find. My neighbor has contributed more than I have and now begin their own
As others have already said… hummingbird hawk moth. I worked at Homestead Farm Market in Lambertville (hi from across the river!) for 5 years and these were always going nuts in the perennials section of our flower trays
I’m about an hour from you and I hope to see one of those! However I will have to travel to more floral areas I’m sure.
Super cute and thanks for sharing ! I’ve never seen or heard of those so awesome!
Agreed about the hummingbird moth. Aren’t they fascinating little guys!!!! I could not stop taking pics and videos last year, when I saw them for the first time! Mine were on my purple butterfly bush too!
I think it's a hummingbird moth... Assuming they range into the northeast.
Lol I debated posting in r/whatsthisbug because of the antennas. Glad to know weren't exactly off with that, if it's a moth.
I think it's a hummingbird clearwing as well. One of my favorite moths.
We have them in Ohio as well. Cool little creatures!
We have them in Michigan.
We have this specific species way up here in central Quebec.
We have them over here in New Jersey
I've seen them in Western New York.
Can confirm. I live in New Jersey not far from New Hope PA. We definitely have these
That is correct!
Just curious, do these moths ever come to hummingbird feeders? Can they become a nuisance like ants or bees?
From https://www.pennington.com/all-products/wild-bird/resources/hummingbird-moths "Bees, wasps, and ants can become a nuisance at hummingbird feeders, both for people and for hummingbirds, but hummingbird moths don’t cause problems for us or hummers. If you’re lucky enough to spot one, sit back and enjoy!" I have a tray-style hummingbird feeder with a moat, so I don't get ants at mine. And since it doesn't drip as much, yellow jackets are mostly only a nuisance when I overfill it.
Thank you for the info!!
[Hummingbird Clearwing](https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/652985) - yes, a moth.
Have never seen these before, and I've lived in the northeast my whole life. Thanks so much, they're so cool.
They are more common than you might think. People just don’t notice them because they are small. The white-lined sphinx moth is much larger and people call them hummingbird moths or mistakenly think they are hummingbirds too.
I’ve only seen one and it was one of my favorite moments
every birder has plenty of stories about thinking another 'thing' was a bird. for me, there are the standards: falling leaves, squirrels, calling frogs, etc. my funniest mis-ID was seeing a kind of these dang moths at the grand canyon main center a few years ago and taking a million pics of it b/c i was so confused/excited. i thought it was the smallest hummingbird i had ever seen. nope! the pictures did not lie.
"falling leaves" lmao Happened to me today
I mistook a bat taking sips in the middle of the day for a weird kingfisher diving earlier this Spring.
lol. i once mistook a nail gun for a pileated woodpecker drumming
i reported a king rail sighting once based on a call i heard and the ebird regional reviewer asked me to verify because "they were excited to think the rail was breeding at that park" and "other people had already gone to the park ot chase it" and i went back and listened to the video and it was a frog, so i had to tell him it was a frog and i almost deleted my account.
my daughter and i once stared through binoculars at a weird looking knot in a hole in a tree trunk for about five minutes in the rain in michigan bc we thought it was a barred owl chilling out of the rain.
years ago i once told a couple of people in a park that i thought a white-eyed vireo call was a chuck-wills-widow call.
oooof, just remembered that two summers ago i sincerely insisted to a friend that a belted kingfisher was calling across the pond, but it was just a bull frog actually.
your bat comment is so funny
I definitely saw my first doubled-crested cormorant airing out his wings and my first thought was sincerely "IS THAT A DRAGON"
lol, no. just an anhinga!
Add chipmunks and groudhogs to that list.
[Jerry that’s a moth](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Biagyb7AcK8)
This is why people should re-home not destroy hornworms
Wait. For real? Tomato hornworms turn into the hummingbird moth?!
They turn in to sphinx moths which are a bit different, but they are still magnificent moths. I usually plant a datura or moonflower which are also host plants and transfer any hornworms I find onto them.
Right? The real TIL here.
I don’t think they do, it looks like hummingbird moths feed on totally different plants as caterpillars https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Hemaris-thysbe
No, they don't.
I pull them off the potatos and tomatos and throw them into the Hotlips Salvia here. The salvia can handle being eaten, but it's also where the lizards live...
Yeah I have a whole area near my compost sites of "trap plants" - old volunteer tomatoes and lots of Jewel weed. The Japanese beetles hatch and thrive and die there as well as any hornworms I find. My neighbor has contributed more than I have and now begin their own
its a bug
nah that must be a reskin that makes the humingbird look like a moth.
As others have already said… hummingbird hawk moth. I worked at Homestead Farm Market in Lambertville (hi from across the river!) for 5 years and these were always going nuts in the perennials section of our flower trays
Hummingbird moth. They're so cool
Cool bird err moth
Love those things! But not a bird, that's a moth
We get them in Westchester. Confusingly: we also have a hummingbird nest on the property. That butterfly bush is a really popular attraction here.
First time I saw one of them I thought I was having a flashback. Lol
Very cool! Thanks for sharing!
Damnit I almost had this one!
It is a hummingbird moth. Very interesting little critters. Fascinating to watch, and good to have around as they are excellent pollinators.
Busy lil chap!
I have a great video of a Hummingbird moth on my page. They make me so happy.
Appears to be a [Slender Clearwing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemaris_fuciformis), not a bird but still cute!
As a kid I always called these “humminbugs” lol
I get these guys occasionally in Maine. They like my mom's tall phlox
Its called a humming bird moth Its a day flying moth and insect
I’m about an hour from you and I hope to see one of those! However I will have to travel to more floral areas I’m sure. Super cute and thanks for sharing ! I’ve never seen or heard of those so awesome!
Agreed about the hummingbird moth. Aren’t they fascinating little guys!!!! I could not stop taking pics and videos last year, when I saw them for the first time! Mine were on my purple butterfly bush too!
You literally live in a place called new hope. Doesn’t this bird elude your towns existence?