Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis (Boisduval, 1836)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Macroglossinae
Identification: Adults are quite variable in appearance; Bumblebee mimic. The thorax is golden or olive-golden in color, abdomen is black dorsally with 1-2 segments just prior to terminal end being yellow to various extent, while black ventrally. H. diffinis is the only eastern species to exhibit blue abdominal tufts on the first black segment in some freshly emerged specimens. Wings mostly clear with reddish brown terminal borders and dark scaling along veins. While wing maculation is too variable to be 100% diagnostic, diffinis typically has very thin terminal borders and the discal cell is elongate and without scales. However, diffinis can always be distinguished from gracilis and thysbe by two diagnostic characteristics: 1) the black band that crosses the eye and travels down the lateral side of the thorax; 2) diffinis always has black legs.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 2 inches (3.2 - 5 cm).
Life History: Adults fly swiftly during the day. Caterpillars pupate in cocoons spun in leaf litter on the ground.
Flight: Two broods from March-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), honeysuckle (Lonicera), dogbane (Apocynum), and dwarf bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including lantana, dwarf bush honeysuckle, snowberry, orange hawkweed, thistles, lilac, and Canada violet.
Habitat: A wide variety of open habitats, streamsides, fields, gardens, and suburbs.
Range: East of the Continental Divide, through most of the United States to Maine and Florida. Some overlap with Hemaris thetis just east of the Divide.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: new description from coordinator Jason D. Roberts added 8/2009.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 1937 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 21, 2023
Submitted by: McFarlandFamily
Region: Licking County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 18, 2023
Submitted by: LlamaJ37
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: Danielhinty
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 19, 2023
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: jmacmetro
Region: Bergen County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 15, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: sklewis
Region: Allen County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2023
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: May 25, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Yellowstone County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 24, 2023
Observation date: May 24, 2023
Submitted by: SDozzler
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 22, 2023
Observation date: Jun 20, 2023
Submitted by: sq85
Region: Sumner County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 20, 2023
Observation date: Apr 13, 2014
Submitted by: Emily Newman
Region: Carter County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2022
Submitted by: Mitothee
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 18, 2023
Observation date: Jun 11, 2023
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
Observation date: May 17, 2023
Submitted by: pkmcp
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 25, 2023
Observation date: May 21, 2023
Submitted by: KarenV
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 25, 2023
Observation date: May 21, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 22, 2023
Observation date: May 13, 2023
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 14, 2023
Observation date: Apr 20, 2023
Submitted by: Spunkybart
Region: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 21, 2023
Observation date: Mar 15, 2023
Submitted by: OkieMae918
Region: Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 16, 2012
Submitted by: Betsy Higgins
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 18, 2023
Observation date: Sep 04, 2021
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 12, 2023
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