A Moth that Looks and Acts Exactly Like a Hummingbird?

[Amused]

OK, I'm an old fart...

So, as an old fart, of course I have a garden.

Anywho, in my garden early this evening, I saw what I THOUGHT were hummingbirds. They flew exactly like humming birds, and acted like them as well. But these were a little bold, and wouldn't fly away when I got close to the flowers. I got about two feet away from one while it was feeding like a hummingbird, and noticed it had antennae and a flexable probiscus instead of a rigid beak.

Well, it turns out they are moths or butterflys called the "hummingbird clearwing moth."

I've lived 33 years without ever seeing one of these things, now I have a garden full of them. Weird, huh?

Here's a picture of one:

link

Here's an article about them:

link


Anyone else ever seen these things?

 

[JayPatel]

that would be one huge moth!

 

[Azraele]

I've seen them a few times as a kid, but not since then. They're pretty weird.


I did see hummingbirds today though.

 

[Amused]

<< that would be one huge moth! >>



They are. The ones I saw tonight were about three inches in length from head to tail.

 

[Looney]

Wow, that's definitely the first i've seen them... what's your location?

 

[Amused]

Central Illinois

 

[Yzzim]

I just saw them for the first time today as well and wondered what the heck they were too. Weird... They seemed pretty friendly and got right up to my 6 year old sister before she swatted at them

BTW, I'm in SW Minnesota.

 

[Piano Man]

I used to live in NW Iowa, and we would have them every summer in our garden. I use to catch them as a kid. They are actually very nice to watch. Then again, moths don't bother me.

 

[Antoneo]

What kinda mothballs would you need for these monsters...

 

[Emos]

My Mom has those moths visit her flower year quite often...she lives in Ohio.

 

[puffpio]

Careful it's Mothra's little bro

 

[Moonbeam]

I haven't seen those in California, but we get tomato horned worm moths. The moth is pretty big, but the worm is beautiful. I seem to remember seeing some huge moths in hawaii like 6in or so, but it could have been in an old Japanese film.

 

[Viperoni]

They look pretty cool