This is one cool moth! First time I saw it hovering around the butterfly bush I did a double take, because it was just so weird, but in a cool & beautiful way. Hawk/Sphinx moth? I didn't think they would be seen out and about at noon on a hot summer day Besides, this guy had clear wings and looked like a cross between a bumble bee and hummingbird. What's up with that?! Eventually, with the help of a fellow blogger, I narrowed down the ID to a Snowberry Clearwing moth (Hemaris diffinis). Turns out the Clearwing is a day-flying Sphinx moth. The distribution of this species seem to be mostly west of the Continental Divide, but there are populations in California which, I believe have now been separated into their own species Hemaris thetis. I'm no expert, so if someone knows better, please let me know!
5/22/16 Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis/thetis).
5/22/16
8/13/10
FAMILY: Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)
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