Hemaris thysbe, the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

Hemaris thysbe
hee-MAGH-rihsM THIHS-bee
(Fabricius, 1775) Sesia thysbe


Hemaris thysbe, Ettrick, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin,
July 15, 2012, Don Severson


Hemaris thysbe, Ettrick, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin,
July 15, 2012, Don Severson

Don Severson writes, "These were also found in Trempealeau County. I generally find both species of these clearwings (diffinis and thysbe) on monarda and on phlox. You also list Hemaris gracilis on your Trempealeau County website, but I don't know if I'd be able to differentiate between that and Hemaris thysbe."

"Hemaris diffinis most closely resembles a bubble bee with yellow and BLACK body hairs. Legs of diffinis are black, and there is strong black bar running through eye and upper thorax on diffinis.

"Hemaris gracilis has reddish legs, and a red bar running through the eye on the side of the head and thorax. It more closely resembles thysbe with greenish and reddish body hairs, but there is no strong indentation on inner edge of broad maroon band on forewing in gracilis.

"The strong indentation on that band is a distinguishing character for thysbe which has off white legs and lacks the stong red band or bar running through the eye on the side of the head and upper thorax. Instead, there is a weaker black line." Bill Oehlke

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802
Subfamily: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839
Tribe: Dilophonotini, Burmeister, 1878
Genus: Hemaris (Dalman, 1816) was Sesia...........
Species: thysbe (Fabricius, 1775)

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