Was so happy to have my camera on hand today to capture a few images of this fascinating insect: the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe). Classified in the Sphinx Moth family, these intriguing creatures hover about just like hummingbirds and also feed on nectar. They lay their eggs on a few specific host plants such as Cherry, Plum, Hawthorns, Snowberry, and Honeysuckle, which are among the only plants their caterpillars can eat. After gorging for a number of days, the caterpillars eventually drop to the ground, spin a thin cocoon, and pupate during winter, protected by leaf litter, until they emerge either in the spring (first generation), or later in the summer (second generation).
The Hummingbird Clearwing Moth’s utter dependence upon specific native plants as well as leaf litter demonstrates how important it is to incorporate as many native plants as possible into your landscaping, as well as keeping fall leaf removal to a minimum. We have two enormous maple trees (sadly, one is an invasive Norway Maple) and I’ve found that lightly raking the fallen leaves into all of my flower beds makes a superb mulch, far superior to sterile wood mulch (which is often treated with chemicals and therefore, toxic to insects). By spring, the leaves have settled and diminished into a thin layer of nutrient-rich, protective mulch that significantly helps to keep moisture in, as well as provides the critical “nursery” cover for a multitude of beneficial insects, including many moths (such as the ethereal Luna Moth), as well as lightning bugs.
Aside from this lovely Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe), the Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) is another type of hummingbird sphinx moth common to western Pennsylvania. The Snowberry Clearwing (below left) is differentiated by its contrasting black and white (on green) coloring that lacks the distinctive rusty red of the Hummingbird Clearwing (below right).
With all my newfound understanding of the importance of native plants, I do feel obligated to point out that this Hummingbird Clearwing was nectaring on my Butterfly Bush, which is NOT native, and in slightly warmer climate zones (like much of the American south and even southern Pennsylvania) it can be aggressively invasive (meaning it can dominate and push out more important native species). Although it does provide much-needed nectar this time of year, there are absolutely no insects that can feed on it during their larval stage (it’s native to Asia, so none of our insects co-evolved with it), therefore, it is considered unbeneficial and even damaging to the overall ecosystem. I will be replacing this non-native Butterfly Bush sometime in 2023, as soon as I determine what native plant will work best in its place. The transition to native planting in my home landscaping has been very gradual and it does take a lot of patience. Especially as you gradually unlearn the ultimately destructive, heavily engrained cultural values that emphasize sterile, manicured lawns and formal, unnatural-looking plantings. I’m gradually getting there!
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ALL PHOTOS AND WRITING BY STACEY.
