Hummingbird Clearwing
Hemaris thysbe (Fabricius, 1775)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Macroglossinae
Identification: Adult appearance is variable; Hummingbird mimic. The thorax is olive to golden-olive in color dorsally, yellow ventrally; abdomen is dark burgundy (sometimes almost black) both dorsally and ventrally, with light olive to dark golden patches dorsally. Wings mostly clear with reddish brown terminal borders and dark scaling along veins. While wing maculation is too variable to be 100% diagnostic, thysbe typically has thick terminal borders and the discal cell is typically covered or bisected by dark scales. However, thysbe can always be distinguished from gracilis and diffinis by two characteristics: 1) the lack of any banding on the lateral side of the thorax; 2) thysbe always has yellowish or pale colored legs.
Wing Span: 1 9/16 - 2 3/16 inches (4 - 5.5 cm).
Life History: Adults fly during the day, and hover at flowers to sip nectar. Caterpillars pupate in cocoons spun at the soil surface.
Flight: Two broods in the south from March-June and August-October; one brood in the north from April-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Honeysuckle (Lonicera), snowberry (Symphoricarpos), hawthorns (Crataegus), cherries and plums (Prunus), and European cranberry bush (Viburnum opulus).
Adult Food: Nectar from a wide variety of flowers including Japanese honeysuckle, beebalm, red clover, lilac, phlox, snowberry, cranberry, blueberry, vetch, and thistles.
Habitat: Open and second-growth habitats, gardens, and suburbs.
Range: Alaska and the Northwest Territories south through British Columbia to Oregon; east through the Great Plains and the Great Lakes area to Maine and Newfoundland; south to Florida and Texas.
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 identification section added from Jason D. Roberts 8/2009
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 1869 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: Alschenck
Region: Windham County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 04, 2023
Observation date: Aug 03, 2023
Submitted by: efw
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 03, 2023
Submitted by: efw
Region: Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: Paul Miller
Region: Washington County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: Constant Gardener
Region: Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: Amcenhill
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 30, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: biogas-dinners-...
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 27, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 27, 2023
Submitted by: Fatcatness
Region: Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: dspring17
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: Ingrid M Kaatz
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: Brittanie
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2023
Submitted by: Mgoerke
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 24, 2023
Observation date: Jul 14, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2023
Submitted by: vogelbild
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: Medina bug
Region: Medina County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 18, 2023
Submitted by: Maureen M
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Orange County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 15, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 06, 2023
Submitted by: sklewis
Region: Allen County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 04, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
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