My husband was outside yesterday when I heard him shout, “Baby, come quick! There’s a moth out here that looks just like a hummingbird!!” I grabbed my camera and ran to join him. Sure enough, at the side of our driveway, hovering above our butterfly bush, was a moth w/wings so fast they could barely be seen.
Each wing had a clear, glass-like panel.
Its wingspan was maybe 2 inches or so, no where near the Luna Moth we’d found last year, but certainly impressive all the same. We watched it dart amongst the flowers, and it seemed okay with me taking its photo as long as I stayed back. It remained only a minute or so before zooming off.
Maybe it’s the Mainer in me, but with its body shape & tiny danglers I think it looks like a little flying lobster! Anyway, after it took off, I went straight to the computer. A quick Google search identified the creature as Hemaris thysbe, or Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. With a range encompassing the entire eastern half of the continental United States, from Maine south to Texas and Florida, these amazing creatures may be waiting outside for you too. I’ve submitted my sighting to BAMONA and am awaiting confirmation. Very, very cool!
One of the few insects that I wouldn’t mind landing on my hand. V Nice.
Me too – not like those pesky mosquitoes. Land & DIE blood suckers!
I was thinking it looked like a crawdad (rather lobster-ish) before reading your lobster comment, so yeah, it’s not just you. People from Arizona see it too. Very cool indeed. 😉
Awesome! Didn’t know they traveled that far west. Great to hear.
We see the crawdad fishiness in the your photos, not way out west. 😛
Can’t believe you got those amazing close-ups!
I just wish he’d stuck around longer; I was only able to take maybe 10 photos at most. Going to keep my eye out for another. The rain put a damper on things today.
I’ve never seen such a thing so that, for me, it could be the source for a wildly imaginative narrating of how it came to exist and its connection to a lobster.
Your summer salads have led me to create a Sweet Potato Fruit Salad. Came out pretty good. I’ve figured out the recipe and sent it to your Sweet & Tangy Cole Slaw comment page of July 27th. Hope you try it. The aspice amounts are guess-timates because I like to shake in a little of this and a pinch of that. Kate
I think I could spin some stories for/with the ladies about its origin too!
Thanks so much for the detailed recipe, Kate. Sounds interesting and delicious. Sort of like an expanded take on a fruit raita. So creative!
Very, very….nice. Lobster, crawdad and hummingbird all rolled up into one neat little fuzzy moth package!
check these guys out!
http://www.birds-n-garden.com/hummingbird_moths.html
Amazing photos, Chessie — so many variations, all so incredible. Thanks for the link!
We do get that first type of moth listed way out west. Here’s another link to totally drive you nuts. It’s a video of one in action at the Desert Museum near where I live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGfuS1av-Q4 😉
Their coloring is remarkable!
They do look like lobsters! Never thought of that. It’s been years since I’ve seen one.
So glad you’re a moth watcher too. We get so many here – butterflies as well. Another perk of living outside the city. 🙂
Oh, that thing TOTALLY looks like a flying lobster! What a neat little guy. The wings are too cool
I know, isn’t he so cool? I’d seen one several days before but thought it was a hummingbird from a distance! They def like the flowers here — must keep looking for more of them.
Very very cool, indeed, Dishy! I’ve never seen anything like that before!
Although… now I do kinda wish lobsters would fly… maybe deliver themselves directly to my door?! 🙂
My family was here all last week. Every time my dad visits, we make a point of having “lobster fest” one of the nights for dinner. Would have made it so much more convenient, them flying straight to the back door, rather than having to, you know, CATCH them.. or in our case, buy them pre-caught & steamed. hahah
Wow, that is really amazing! I’ve never seen one. But when I was in Indiana, a hummingbird came and drank from a flower on a bush I was standing beside, and that was pretty cool. I didn’t get a picture, though.
Tracie, we’ve had so many hummingbirds in the yard this summer, I thought this moth *was* one. I’d seen it several days earlier and standing at a distance chalked it up to another (albeit tiny) one. Both are way cool.
am i the only person who thinks that thing looks SCARY!?!?!? imagine it zooming around your bedroom! ahhhh! i’m afraid. lucky you and john are so brave and nature-y.
xo
You are too funny! Girl, this moth is so interesting, I can’t imagine even you would be afraid up close. And trust me, it didn’t want anything to do w/ us — I was lucky to get its picture!
UPDATE: BAMONA confirmed my sighting earlier today. Here’s the page if anyone wants to check it out!
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/552340
Even cooler than just getting the pics. So very cool.
Cool!!
I’ve never seen one personally, but there was a picture of one in the local paper just a week or so ago. I guess it’s their active season. And I thought the back end looked like a crayfish or lobster, too!
How timely! I saw another one at the same bush w/in a few days of this post, but it’d zoomed off before I got outside. Rats.
How interesting.I have never seen this creature so close.Nice shot.
Thanks Cocomino!
THAT is WAY cool!! Excellent snap!
Thanks so much everyone! Keeping my eyes open for another, but it’s still raining today. Rats.
I’ve never seen one of those before on the east coast; how very cool. I agree with you, “looks like a tiny lobster with wings.” Very interesting..thank you for sharing.
Deb xx
Hoping this post changes minds about moths being “boring” ! So many different types, so many are incredibly cool.
Wow, those photos are beautiful! I tried to photograph a hummingbird once and it’s hard to do – they move so fast.
I saw a hummingbird at the same bush a few days ago, but only through the window. By the time I get outside, they’re always gone!
I love eating lobster now, but the look of them still freaks me out. So I was enjoying this little clear-winged beauty until you pointed out the resemblance! Still a neat find, though. You must have a fast camera!
NIKON, baby!
Christy, those shots of the hummingbird are amazing. I get them all the time in my yard, but wouldn’t have thought to attempt to photo them, they move so fast.
-Gina-
Gina, too cool that you seem them so often. I spied another one, but was too slow to get outside. Keeping my eyes peeled.
Wow, so vivid and clear. It does look like a hummingbird or a flying lobster. The flower was so beautiful. No wonder no butterfly or moth can’t resist. This could have been perfect for this weeks flower photo challenge. Thank for such a wonderful post.
You’re so right! I should have posted. And of course am overdue for my post-a-week.. again.. wah-wah-waaah.
amazingly done! good job!! ty for sharing!!! =)
Thanks so much! 🙂
Beautiful photography, Christy.
Thank you, Donna! Coming from you, that’s a real compliment.
Very cool pics! I’ve never come across one like that before!
Thanks! And the coolest thing – I went outside a few days ago and saw not just another but TWO at the same time!! Got a bunch of photos. 🙂
That’s amazing! So cool! (I’m really not this lame, but those photos are awesome.)
Hey Cassie! Thanks! I do not judge on the quality of comments, but on the frequency of commenting. Right? RIGHT!
The photos are stunning Christy! It does look a wee bit like a flying lobster!
Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!
Thanks so much, Connie my love! We’re all well. Just catching up on emails, blogs, FB, twitter, etc. etc. etc. today. It’s been too long! XO
Hello! I happened upon your blog today through a link on “Sodium Girl’s” blog. I was diagnosed with Menieres this summer, and have been trying to find fellow Menieres “foodies” for recipes. I can’t believe you captured a picture of this little creature – we saw one in our garden this summer and thought it was a hummingbird too. I had no clue what is was until today!
Hi Karen – WELCOME! So glad you found my blog. Sorry to hear about Meniere’s – I know how that goes.. but hopefully the diet will help alleviate your symptoms. As for this little guy – they are amazing! I saw several more in the weeks after this post, at one point there were 2 at one time feeding at the bush. So incredibly cool!