Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)

Nectaring on Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) on 6/22/08.

Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)

It's only taken two years and an astronomical number of deleted pixels to get a halfway decent shot of one of these clearwing moths. I see them every year, though we do seem to have a larger than usual population this year. Seeing them and getting a photograph are two entirely different matters, though. I've never seen one at rest, but always in constant motion as they move from flower to flower.

Adults are said to mimic bumblebees, but except for the coloration, I don't really see the comparison. They feed during the day and are found throughout most of the United States and western Canada.

Thanks to Bobby Grizzard on BugGuide for confirming this ID.



On Slender Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) 7/2/08

Sources and Additional Information:

Species Page on BugGuide
Species details from Butterflies and Moths of North America
Images of pinned specimens from Moths of Maryland

Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)

Bee Balm

Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa)

Under a January sky.

There's little left of what once was.
Just a cluster of empty vessels falling into disarray.

How different it was in mid-June.


Other common names: Oswego-tea or wild bergamot


A member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). The leaves are used in herbal teas and the flowers are edible. Some say the leaves have an oregano scent. Historically, oil from the leaves was used to treat respiratory ailments.


Grows in almost every state and province in the U. S. and Canada and isn't picky about location. Habitat - Prairies, fields, open rocky woods, glade margins, thickets, roadsides, railroads. Preference is full or partial sun, and moist to slightly dry conditions.


The root system consists of deep, strongly branched roots, and shallow rhizomes that are responsible for the vegetative spread of the plant. These rhizomes typically send up multiple leafy stems in a tight cluster, giving Bee Balm a bushy appearance. The rhizomes can survive earth-moving and bulldozing operations, and send up plants in unexpected places. Can also be grown from seed. This plant often spreads aggressively. (Of course, it does. It's a mint.)


The nectar of the flowers attracts long-tongued bees, bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and hummingbird moths. Hummingbirds also visits the flowers. Mammalian herbivores usually avoid bee balm.

Sources:
Missouri Plants
Illinois Wildflowers
LBJ Wildflower Center

Bee Balm