National Moth Week: Hummingbird Moth (Hemaris thysbe)
Adult Hummingbird Moth ( Hemaris thysbe ) © Laura Bennett-Kimble On a springtime hike at Little Big Econ State Forest (Seminole County, Central Florida), my companions and I spotted a hummingbird moth working its way from thistle plant to thistle plant. I clicked my camera’s shutter button while standing as still as possible. The morning light was perfect, and the moth was not shy. It ended up next to me on a tall thistle, and the above image is one of the resulting photos. The hummingbird moth—along with the similarly named hummingbird hawk moth that lacks transparent wing spots—is a member of the sphinx moth family (Sphingidae), which also includes the Pluto Sphinx moth. These creatures resemble hummingbirds in both their shapes and movement as they hover while sipping nectar from blossoms. The beating of their wings can even make a humming noise, similar to that of the birds. You can attract the moths to your neighborhood with both nectar and larval host plant...