This moth often gets mistaken for a large bumblebee due to its color and flight pattern. The moth’s abdomen has yellow and black segments. Its wings appear clear with thin, dark borders and veins. It is also called “hummingbird moth” or “flying lobster”.
Forest, Grassland, Urban
The moth is found from the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, southern Ontario, eastern Manitoba, and in western Quebec in Canada. In the United States this species has been located in southern California and Baja California Norte, Illinois, east through most of the United States from Maine to West Virginia to Florida.
Common
Diurnal
Adults feed on nectar, host plants for the larvae include Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), honeysuckle (Lonicera), dogbane (Apocynum), and dwarf bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera).
Adults fly swiftly during the day and can be seen hovering at flowers for nectar. Caterpillars pupate in cocoons spun in leaf litter on the ground.
Adults pollinate flowers and larvae are a food source for birds and other animals
Least Concern
