In Jo's Yard - 18 The Hummingbird Moth

One month since my Phase 1 is planted, a neighbor calls me from the front of my house around dusk because she thinks there are hummingbirds at my Pinelands Lantana.  They are actually hummingbird moths!  Hummingbird moths are insects.  Their rapid wing movement – up to 70 beats per second - creates a buzzing sound and enables them to travel 12mph.  They dart around just like hummingbirds!  The wings of hummingbird moths are mostly transparent with dark borders.  The moths do not have feathers, where hummingbirds do, of course.  Hummingbird moths can be found in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.  Where hummingbirds favor red tubular flowers, in my yard, these hummingbird moths were at the yellow Pinelands Lantana.  The main host plants for hummingbird moths are herbs and shrubs of the teasel and honeysuckle families.  The adults are small, diurnal moths that resemble bumblebees in shape, 2-2-1/2 inches long and they are often mistaken for hummingbirds.


                                                  Internet Photo of Hummingbird Moth