It’s a Bug…a Hummingbird…No, Wait…It’s a Moth!

Nature 3 Minutes

The hummingbird hawk-moth is a species of hawk moth, which is named due to its striking similarity to hummingbirds. Hawk moths are numerous species in a family of moths, all distinguished by their agile and sustained flying ability.

They are most common across Europe and Asia, with some populations appearing in the northern countries of Africa. Like many other types of hawk moths, the hummingbird hawk moth relies on flowers as their main food source.

Hummingbird hawk-moths can be found in gardens, meadows, parks and woodlands where there are nectar-rich flowers that it diets upon. Their favorite plants are is Galium (bedstraw) and Rubia (wild madder), as well as red valerian, honeysuckle, jasmine, Buddleia, lilac, Escallonia, petunia and phlox.

Interesting Hummingbird Hawk-Moth Facts

Yes, they are a moth.

It’s easy to mistake these incredible animals as birds, but as their name (half) suggests, they are moths. But not like your usual moth that comes out at night.

They are a day-flying moth, with an appearance of tail feathers, and the ability to fly and feed like a hummingbird! They are pretty to look at, which can be unlike other moths!

They are also far more robust than your usual moth or butterfly, capable of feeding from flowers even in the rain.

They’re not the same as hummingbird mothsWhen it comes to common names, things can get tricky. However, it’s important to know that hummingbird moths and hummingbird hawk-moths aren’t the same thing!The hummingbird hawk-moth is known by the scientific name Macroglossum stellatarum. As a result, it is in the genus Macroglossum. This species in particular finds its home in the region known as the Old World, which is made up of Europe, Asia, and Africa.The hummingbird moth, however, is in a completely different genus, Hemaris. They are still a member of the Sphingidae family, though, making them distantly related to hummingbird hawk moths. This species is more common in the New World, which includes North and South America.

They’re a prime example of convergent evolution.

If you watch a hummingbird hawk-moth eat, you may notice that they’re extremely similar to a hummingbird. They use their long straw-like mouthpiece, known as a proboscis, to suck the nectar out of flowers.

This is the ability to move rapidly from side-to-side while hovering.It’s thought this ability evolved to help evade ambush predators that lay awaiting them in flowers. They can in an instant side-step any danger!

Their wings beat at 70-80 times a second. They even emit an audible humming noise as they hover over plants.

They have a routine.

Most of the time, when you see insects like moths, butterflies, and bees flying around, it doesn’t seem like they have a plan. When they land, it seems random, and they don’t appear to have a preference for certain flowers. However, that’s not always true.

Hummingbird hawk-moths do what is known as trap-lining. This means that they are thought to return to the same flower beds around the same time each and every day.

They have also demonstrated a preference for certain types of flowers.

Their favorite flowers are those with longer, tube-like shapes.

Everything is nature faces competition. This is because there are simply not enough resources to support everything. Trees have to compete for sunlight, animals for space and food – this is the circle of life in the wilderness.

As a result, hummingbird hawk-moths tend to favor flowers where they face the least amount of competition. For deeper, narrower plants, it can be difficult for insects like bees to reach the nectar inside. However, the hummingbird hawk-moth is able to utilize its long proboscis to reach the food source within.

Hummingbird hawk-moths see better with less eyes.

Like many other types of insects, the hummingbird hawk-moth has several eyes, more than the two we are used to seeing on animals.

However, as far as multi-eye insects come, the hummingbird hawk-moth is actually on the end of the spectrum with fewer eyes. Their eyes are more complex, though, allowing them to see more.

They’re named for the appearance of their larvae.

The hummingbird hawk-moth is a part of the family Sphingidae, which is made up of all types of hawk moths, also known as Sphinx moths.

This is because of the fact that young hawk-moths, before they become moths at all, look like the ancient Egyptian cat.

We know their entire genome.

Since they were discovered, genetics has also been a topic of intrigue in the science community.

The hummingbird hawk-moth was first described in the 1700s, when nomenclature, or scientific names, emerged. As of 2018, we’ve been able to completely understand their genome. This means that we know all of their genes!

Hummingbird hawk moths are considered a sign of good luck.

These tiny insects have a big message packed in their little body. Around the world, many cultures consider the hummingbird hawk-moth as a symbol of good luck.

This goes along with the usual meaning for moths overall, which can be linked to transformation and change.

Source: FactAnimal.com

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Published by pat frederick

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217 thoughts on “It’s a Bug…a Hummingbird…No, Wait…It’s a Moth!”

  1. Morning All!
    another chilly start to our cloudy day…just under 35* but better than yesterday!
    I put the feeders out and not a single bird scolded me…lol

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Morning, Pat! I saw these humming bird moths in VA. They’re kind of cool!

      Been busy, busy….after periodic loss of my internet for a couple of days, first thing I did was update W10; it seemed to work but later it began doing it again. So I realized I hadn’t cleared all the caches for several months. So I did a complete clean up of my computer – over 1200 items in the recycle bin! Ooops! Things were sailing along and then this morning? Same BS! “Can’t connect to this network”….ok, unplug modem/radio, wait, plug it back in, adjust the direction the antenna is facing, etc., etc.

      So far, I’m back on and we’ll see what happens….I was starting to sweat a little bit when it wouldn’t start up, then it started the process but took forever…I’m thinking, “PLEASE DON’T LET IT BE THE COMPUTER!” I cannot afford to replace this! When I do call my ISP, they ALWAYS claim it is my computer, of course! They are based in Fremont and don’t have that many customers up here so they don’t want to go to the expense of sending someone all the way up here. I get it and try to resolve things on my own but, at some point – enough is enough – I’ll go back to saving $30/month if the extra $$$ isn’t going to resolve the problem. It will just be a little slower. I want to stay with a NE-based company, if possible.

      OK – now then…temp when I got up was 46 – brrrr! But the skies are clear – no more haze, thankfully! I went out to cut a couple of asparagus spears. As I was doing that, something buzzed over my head. When I moved over to fill the jelly feeder, a tiny female hummer landed on the Oriole nectar feeder. They are soooo tiny and fragile looking! I came in and pulled out my small hummer feeder and hung it under the eaves so they don’t have to spar with the orioles.

      I am seeing far fewer orioles these days…I expect they have now laid their eggs and are more focused on that now. They stocked up to get ready for breeding, I’m guessing. And that’s a good thing since I haven’t heard yet that my case of jelly is in and I’m down to 2 jars!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!
        the sun is partially shining here…so it’s slowly warming up.
        but windy? GEES!
        our orioles are still gobbling up jelly–but not like yours for sure!
        and the hummers are still active but nothing like they will be in a another month or two

        Liked by 2 people

  3. Liked by 1 person

  4. Liked by 1 person

    1. the rest of the tweet excluding the picture
      🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸
      @Travis_in_Flint
      🚨Breaking🚨

      Senator Dianne Feinsteins team has confirmed that the Senator lied when she said she only had shingles. They’ve now disclosed that she actually had Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis. Encephalitis is a very rare disease that causes inflammation of the brain which can cause severe headaches and confusion. The symptoms can last for years.

      Is this really someone who should be serving in the United States Senate?

      Liked by 2 people

      1. when we got married 32 years ago, (we married at the end of June–a HOT HOT day), my father-in-law had gotten shingles. we told him he didn’t have to wear the tux, the long sleeved shirt and all of it because we knew he was suffering. he did anyway, wonderful sweet man–sigh.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸
    @Travis_in_Flint
    Breaking: Congressman Dan Goldman (D) claims the FBI whistleblowers were bought and paid for by Kash Patel. The reality is the witnesses had their lives destroyed and Patel set up a fund for them so they could feed their families after the FBI suspended them without pay and left them unable to afford groceries. Congressman Goldman has a tough time understanding because he has a net worth of $235,000,000 and grew up in an extremely wealthy family. He was able to buy a seat in ‘22 with his extreme wealth and now insult people he considers beneath him.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. just reading headlines that they’re shuttering many stores in CA–and around the country–like targets/walmarts/cvs, etc…because of the looting
    would you like to bet they will “repurpose” those into illegal alien housings?
    so they pander to the black criminal element in allowing them to loot and drive the stores away, which then makes room for the illegals in buildings that would “go to waste” otherwise…
    this way they force corporations to “donate” to the great reset–first in allowing their merchandise to be stolen, then in selling that real estate at dirt cheap prices.
    coincidence or planned?

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Citizen 817
    May 19, 2023 12:28 am

    @realDonaldTrump

    3h
    Very sad watching what took place today in Congress regarding Whistleblowers and the FBI. There has never been a time like this in our Country, the complete weaponization of Justice. I am a victim also, but the real victim is the United States of America. Congress must use its purse strings to straighten it out, before it is too late! MAGA 2024

    Liked by 1 person

  24. I am wondering why stores like target and others who are experiencing looting and shoplifting costing millions of dollars, do not retrofit their stores with anti theft devices–that if the thieves attempt to go past the inner doors with merchandise not paid for, the doors slam shut and they are not allowed to leave.
    jewelry stores have this sometimes…
    you can’t say the cost is prohibitive–these stores are losing millions! and maybe the police won’t arrest them, but they wouldn’t be allowed to leave the store with the merchandise. and they can be photographed (hood/mask removed) and their pictures spread among businesses.

    Liked by 2 people

  26. Hummingbird moths come to my front flower bed every year to visit the Vinca, Torenia and Blue Salvia.

    Before I learned it was a moth – I thought it was a miniature golden hummingbird!

    The wings move fast and make a humming sound – only the antennae reveal that it’s a bug instead of a bird.

    Vinca

    Torenia

    Blue Salvia

    Liked by 2 people

  28. In case you didn’t read last night at M’s, Pat….I cannot believe how MUCH I got accomplished yesterday, with no internet! Jeez….I weed-ate all along the inside of the fence line in my back yard – made it 2/3 around before the battery died. I had my other one charged up but, by that time, I thought my arms would fall off! I haven’t done that for at least 5-6 years! I will spray the corners that I can’t reach with my mower again with all-kill. I pulled 90% of the dandelions in my back driveway, got my west beds cleared, cleaned out the Rose of Sharon bushes, and….DRUM ROLL….THE biggest accomplishment? I CUT DOWN THE DEAD PEACH TREE! Oh, that felt sooooo good – now I don’t have to keep looking at that ugly thing. There is still a 2′ stump but that I can deal with. Eventually, I’ll dig it out. I thought my arms would hurt more but it’s not bad at all…I can probably finish today…

    I’ve also been doing some ruminating on this red Clematis….I keep looking at this empty section under the west leading edge of my willow tree….it wouldn’t get morning sun but would get up to 6 hours of afternoon sun. The purple one only gets a few hours of morning sun, then shade the rest of the day, and it blooms beautifully. I really wanted a cement statue to put there, like a deer or horse or something, but they are waaay too expensive. There was a statuary place in VA I used to visit that had a half-acre of cement statues, for really decent prices. I don’t know of anywhere here in NE like that. So I’m going to get a black iron trellis about 6′ tall to put there for the red clematis; I’ve also decided I’m going to plant something for ground cover that will produce some small pretty flowers to eventually cover that whole area under the tree. Something really close to the ground, lower than Vinca. But not this year….probably….

    Liked by 1 person

      1. IKR? It was like I was on speed or something – just totally wired!!! I think it was a lack of sleep from the night before, when I was up until 3 am. It didn’t take long for me to conk out once I hit my recliner, I’ll tell you that! BTW, I am still having issues with my internet so if I disappear, that’s it. I called my ISP and they will come up early next week. I think it is the router, after trying a few things….when I got this router (from my ISP), the complicated plug was loose and didn’t stay connected. I thought it might be the outlet so I had Jake come over to check it and he discovered the plug issue. He wrapped it in black electrical tape and it’s worked until now. They noted that they need to bring another router with them. He started in with the usual “well, you’re getting good signal from the tower right now.” NO, NO, NO – no more of that BS!!! I DO NOT GAS what it looks like from YOUR end – all I know is what it looks like from my seat at my computer and IT AIN’T WORKING!!! Get your ass up here and FIX IT!!!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. you deserved the break!!
          when we have issues, and call tech support, it’s ALWAYS an indian sounding tech reading from a script.
          they are not local so there is no sending a “local” tech…sigh…

          Liked by 1 person

    1. see, if i were the people of Florida–I’d start making some noise–you know– WE ELECTED you to govern FLORIDA–get your ass back here type of thing…
      but I don’t like him, so there’s that…LOL

      Liked by 1 person

  31. “A Century of Censorship — Matt Farwell’s painstaking timeline of over a hundred years of American information suppression, secret bureaucracies, and “anti-disinformation” scares”
    THE HUNT FOR TOM CLANCY
    MAY 19, 2023

    (Clockwise from top left: Franklin Roosevelt, J. Edgar Hoover, Harry S Truman, and Joseph McCarthy)

    EXCERPT: “The turn of the last century brought an age of revolutions, industrial warfare and nearly instantaneous communications across long distances. With these developments came an emphasis on another method of war: information war. This was the type of fight waged with what World War II Deputy Director of the Office of Censorship, Theodore F. Koop, called “Silent Weapons,” in a wartime memoir he published in 1946. Wrote Koop: ‘The censors’ shears were bayonets that not only formed a rear-guard national defense but also struck hard at the enemy in all three phases of warfare—military, economic, and psychological.’

    Koop would go on to run CBS News in Washington, DC. Well-known as a powerful media figure, he was also a trusted one, the man who hired Walter Cronkite. Less well-known was that in 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower asked him to run a secret national censorship program intended for use in Cold War emergencies. He accepted the offer while still a network news executive, serving in that contingency role under Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.

    The methods of censorship had changed over time, matching changes in the communication technology. During World War I, the United States Government used the Postal Service, the Comstock laws and the reliance on publications reaching subscribers by mail as a wedge. When radio and television broadcasts became pre-eminent, the newly formed Federal Communications Commission began using its authority as stewards of the public airwaves to watch over content. Under the FCC Act of 1934, ostensibly private corporations like CBS, ABC and NBC were allowed to use the public airwaves only under license, acquiring revenue and learning the power of shaping the discourse from the nascent field of advertising.”

    Covers from 1917 to 2022: https://www.racket.news/p/a-century-of-censorship

    Liked by 1 person

  33. “New Senate Bill Would Create Federal Agency to Police Americans for ‘Misinformation’ and ‘Hate Speech’”
    by Kyle Becker May 18, 2023

    EXCERPT: “A new Senate bill would create a federal agency to police Americans’ speech for “misinformation” and “hate speech” if passed by the Congress.

    The bill was brought forth by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and is dubbed the Digital Platform Commission Act (DPCA). As the senator announced, the legislation would “create an expert federal body empowered to provide comprehensive, sector-specific regulation of digital platforms to protect consumers, promote competition, and defend the public interest.”

    “The new Federal Digital Platform Commission would have the mandate, jurisdiction, and broad set of tools to develop and enforce thoughtful guardrails for a sector that has been left for too long to write its own rules, with serious consequences for everything from teen mental health to disinformation to anti-competitve practices that have hurt small businesses,” the senator argued.
    —————–
    The new Federal Digital Platform Commission would have five commissioners appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. It would be “staffed by experts with a background in areas such as computer science, software development, and technology policy.”

    The Commission would have “a broad mandate to promote the public interest, with specific directives to protect consumers, promote competition, and assure the fairness and safety of algorithms on digital platforms, among other areas,” the senator’s statement added. “To fulfill its mandate, the Commission would have the authority to promulgate rules, impose civil penalties, hold hearings, conduct investigations, and support research. It could also designate ‘systemically important digital platforms’ subject to additional oversight, regulation, and merger review.”

    https://beckernews.com/new-senate-bill-would-create-federal-agency-to-police-americans-for-misinformation-and-hate-speech-50407/

    Liked by 1 person

  38. NF: This one reminds me of my niece, Mandy – we were sitting at the bar in Madison and there was a black velvet painting of a bull fighter and a bull on the wall – she was about 3 or 4 at the time – she looked and looked at that picture, then turned to me and tugged on my sleeve before saying, “Cow shit! (pointing) Damned cows!” Both my Mom and Sis were working at a cattle yard at the time! LOL – one time I asked her what their dog’s name was – a dalmation at the time named Baby Cakes – and she replied “Sumbitch Baby Cakes!” BC would get into the trash all the time and Mom would come in yelling, “You son of a bitch, Baby Cakes!!!”

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Like


  41. “Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) will announce his 2024 White House candidacy “in the coming days,” New Hampshire news radio host Chris Ryan reported on Thursday. Ryan reported that Christie’s campaign would be “focused on New Hampshire,” an early Republican primary state that often determines the success of a candidate’s campaign. “The New Jersey Republican sees himself as the only serious GOP candidate willing to take on former President Donald,” CNN reported.”

    “We really gotta rethink how we make important decisions.”

    Liked by 1 person

  42. 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸
    @Travis_in_Flint
    Breaking: Fulton County DA Fani Willis indicates charges against President Donald Trump will be coming in August. The investigation is to determine whether Donald Trump broke the law and attempted to overturn the 2020 election.

    The DA is using her time to do this while her county has one of the highest violent crime rates in America. She’s also used her position to target Senator Graham and Rudy Guiliani.

    It is now clear that Joe Biden is using local DAs to target his political enemies instead of the DOJ to avoid any scrutiny. The House GOP needs to launch a full investigation into this level of corruption

    Like



  43. “Ontario in 1974”

    “1927 Paramount Studio map of potential filming locations in California that best depict international regions”

    “The oldest member of the US Senate contracted encephalitis, a brain inflammation after a bout of shingles that left her unable to sit on key committees in the Senate. Feinstein, who is 89 and should have retired 10 years ago, also developed Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which can cause facial paralysis. The encephalitis resolved itself, but she continues to deal with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. She returned to Washington on 10 May after nearly three months of absence. It’s rumored she can’t even wipe her own ass anymore. Senator Lurch (D-Pennsylvania) has been assigned that task by the Ways and By All Means Committee.”

    Liked by 1 person


  45. “I wonder who James is…”



    “A Minnesota man has been indicted on charges that he stole a pair of the famed ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz,” from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn., the actress’s hometown, nearly 18 years ago. The red-sequined pumps were recovered in a sting operation that ended in Minneapolis in 2018, but the authorities said at the time that their investigation was continuing and they did not name any suspects.

    On Tuesday, a federal indictment charged Terry Jon Martin of Minnesota with stealing an authentic pair of the slippers, which officials estimated have a market value of $3.5 million, from the museum sometime between Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 of 2005. Mr. Martin was indicted on one count of theft of a major artwork.”

    Liked by 1 person

  46. “The three white kids were in a group with three black kids and they all did house and car burglaries together. Somewhere along the line this pipsqueak fuck decided to get rid of the white kids and killed all three of them – he shot ’em all and dumped the bodies around town. Twelve fuckin’ years old – it’s unbelievable.

    All of this happened within less than a mile from Gator Joe’s (my favorite local bar ferfucksakes) in the tiny-ass little one-stoplight town of Ocklawaha, Florida. The other thing that the town’s famous for is the 1930’s Ma Baker bank robbery gang. If you don’t know about her and her gang, you can find it here https://mabarkerhouse.org/ – the town has quite the legacy!)”

    Liked by 1 person

  47. “New geological research warns that the weight of New York City’s skyscrapers is actually causing the Big Apple — whose more than 1 million buildings weigh nearly 1.7 trillion pounds — to sink lower into its surrounding bodies of water.

    The city is plopping closer to the water at a rate of 1 to 2 millimeters a year, “with some areas subsiding much faster.” While that may not seem significant to untrained eyes, the gradual descent makes NYC extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, according to lead researcher and geologist Tom Parsons of the United States Geological Survey.

    Lower Manhattan is particularly at risk, and there is concern for both Brooklyn and Queens as well, according to the study.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. this is weird…
      look at THIS headline on the liberty daily…coincidence?
      Great Reset Evil: Europe Could Achieve Net Zero by Demolishing its Historic Buildings and Starting Again, Says Italian Central Bank

      Liked by 1 person


  49. “The-Sun.com – A LEGENDARY food brand is giving its famed hotdog on wheels a makeover and a new name. Oscar Mayer announced this week that its iconic vehicle, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, will change its name entirely.

    The new name is pivotal in the company’s history as it’s the first change to the hot-dog-inspired car since it debuted in 1936. Moving forward, the motor fleet will be known as Frankmobiles, as Oscar Mayer intends to advertise a new recipe for All Beef Franks.

    Additionally, drivers that were previously known as Hotdoggers will now be referred to as Frankfurters and the vehicles will get some style upgrades. “Debuting this week, the fleet of six vehicles feature bun-derful new elements, including saucy exterior decals, Frank Whistles (formerly Wiener Whistles), and a newly renamed class of Hotdoggers behind the wheel – now known as Frankfurters.”

    Liked by 1 person

  50. I had another idea about the red clematis….I have the red wrought-iron pieces that were inserts in the old-fashioned storm door that was on this house when I bought it – I have NO clue why they are red whereas the rest of the door was white. I moved the pieces around and figured out if I wire the pieces together right, it will look like a red “H,” for the Huskers. I have this blank space between my BR windows and the garage and it would fit there perfectly. If I plant the clematis underneath that, with a trellis that reaches the “sign”…..that might really look cool!!! Hmmm….wait a minute…I have a metal shelving unit w/3 shelves that I have sitting there now with my Husker’s brick on it…..the red clematis could climb up that shelving unit…..

    What do you think, Pat? Under the willow tree or the Husker sign?

    Liked by 1 person

              3. Ya’ know, the thought of starting one has crossed my mind often but…..I don’t know if I want to take that on….but I’m getting closer, I’ll say that. Good idea, BTW – I hadn’t thought of that. I am pretty good at figuring out how to make do with what I’ve got on hand.

                Liked by 1 person

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