What in the world??!?

[*Raistlin*]

Hi all–I’m no biology wiz.. I was out the other day and saw this ‘thing’ buzzing around our Lilac bush. At first I thought it was just a bumblebee, but then noticed the front end looks like a moth…. and the rear end doesn’t resemble a bumblebee at all.

Does anyone have any idea what this is???

Please send any answers to ben @ bensellswisconsin. com (remove spaces)

Thanks!

Also–this was taken with a high-speed digital, flapping wings should have been stilled–just to give you an idea how FAST this thing’s wings were moving…. I’m also very familiar with hummingbirds, and this was way too small–like the size of a bumblebee.

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Attachments:

[david23]

why didnt u capture it

[*Raistlin*]

quote david23:

why didnt u capture it

Maybe because it was the first time I’d seen anything like it, and wasn’t thinking about getting this… Doesn’t matter–it lands on our lilac bush just about every day. Capturing shouldn’t be a problem.

[loveangel]

never seen it before.

[February Beetle]

It’s a hummingbird moth, I believe. Let me go check… Yes, here it is on my most favorite site :
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/clearwing_moth.html
Class Insecta
Order Lepidoptera
Family Sphingidae, the Hummingbird Moths.

[February Beetle]

ps – Neat pictures! I think those would be so fun to see live, I never have.

[*Raistlin*]

quote February Beetle:

ps – Neat pictures! I think those would be so fun to see live, I never have.

Move to Sussex, Wisconsin–I just saw a second one around the same lilac bush. I tried snapping a few quick photos, but couldn’t get a clear shot before he/she/it took off! I’ll be tryin in the next few days, though, if it doesn’t storm too bad…

BTW, thank you VERY much for the information regarding exactly what this is. I never would have guessed. I had people telling me it’s some kind of hummingbird, others saying it looks like a moth–but I’d never heard of one that goes after Lilac…lol Thanks again!

[February Beetle]

My pleasure, you have no idea how happy I was to help! 🙂 BTW be sure to show us if you get any more pictures! And please don’t smash it 😉 Bug Love!

[WolverSyr]

Very cool pictures!

My grandmother used to call them "Millers". I recall one that got into the house when I was a kid & I thought it was the coolest thing (after I got over being afraid it was a bee!)

I haven’t seen one in years.

[kathywilliams]

BTW, thank you VERY much for the information regarding exactly what this is.

[Jammerz]

It is actually an alien scout, sent to our planet to spy on human activity.

Next time you see one, you should capture and interrogate it.

[aiurel]

I`ve seen something like that in the garden, but it was huge, the size of a small bird and it was grey with orange stripes.

[Lukero]

That’s freaky.
And why can’t they just name it Hummingmoth? 😛

[psfrancis]

I work in the garden center of my store. While watering my eye was caught by what I thought was a hummingbird. I watched it until it flew away. When I got home I researched and found that it is a Clearwing Moth. How interesting. I wished I had my cell phone so I could took its picture. Now that I know what it is I understand why it was not afraid of me like hummingbirds usually are. Why would you want to capture it? It is to fun to see them in the wild.

[Author]

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