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 1 - 24 of 2049 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 05, 2026
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 06, 2026
Observation date: Aug 01, 2026
Submitted by: Phaellot
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2026
Observation date: Jul 30, 2026
Submitted by: Robert Lee
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2026
Observation date: Jul 24, 2026
Submitted by: AprilsFlutterbys
Region: Fayette County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2026
Observation date: Jul 29, 2026
Submitted by: JG_Duquesnel
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 30, 2026
Observation date: Jul 25, 2026
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2026
Observation date: Jul 26, 2026
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2026
Observation date: Jul 25, 2026
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jul 25, 2026
Observation date: Jun 19, 2026
Submitted by: Moth_Observer01
Region: Nelson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2026
Observation date: Jul 21, 2026
Submitted by: WirelessMike
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2026
Observation date: Jul 20, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 21, 2026
Observation date: Jul 14, 2026
Submitted by: AngelaTierney
Region: Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 18, 2026
Observation date: Jul 17, 2026
Submitted by: sgtzeno
Region: Hardy County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 17, 2026
Observation date: Jul 06, 2026
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 10, 2026
Observation date: Jul 08, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 08, 2026
Observation date: Jul 06, 2026
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 06, 2026
Observation date: Jun 30, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 01, 2026
Observation date: Jun 25, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 26, 2026
Observation date: Jul 10, 2025
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 22, 2026
Observation date: May 09, 2026
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: St. Louis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Ozark_Bill
Verified date: May 13, 2026
Observation date: Apr 14, 2026
Submitted by: WirelessMike
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 15, 2026
Observation date: Mar 28, 2026
Submitted by: Texan
Region: Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 06, 2026
Observation date: Mar 27, 2026
Submitted by: SarahV
Region: Texas, Williamson County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 06, 2026
Observation date: Apr 01, 2026
Submitted by: Parker Vancleave
Region: Obion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 05, 2026
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