Genus Hemaris

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth - Hemaris thysbe

Snowberry Clearwing Moth - Hemaris diffinis

What is this? A Bee? Hummingbird? - Hemaris diffinis

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

No Taxon (Moths)

Superfamily Bombycoidea

Family Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)

Subfamily Macroglossinae

Tribe Dilophonotini

Genus Hemaris

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

North American species were originally placed in the genus Haemorrhagia Grote (1).

Explanation of Names

Author of genus is Dalman 1816. (J.W. Dalman was curator of the Natural History Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.) The name Hemaris comes from the Greek hemera, meaning the day, possibly referring to the day-flying habits, according to this factsheet on Hemaris tityus, a European species. Hemaris does not seem to be related to the Latin/Greek root haem, meaning blood.

Numbers

4 species in North America listed at All-Leps: diffinis, gracilis, senta, thysbe

Identification

adults are easy to identify to genus level due to their habit of hovering around flowers like bumblebees; see individual species pages for identification to species level

Range

represented throughout North America, including the arctic

Print References

Holland, The Moth Book, p. 62--description of Haemorrhagia Grote (1)

Internet References

pinned adult images of all 4 North American species (CBIF)

US distribution maps and other info on diffinis, gracilis, senta, thysbe

distribution in Canada of all 4 species, listing provinces and territories (CBIF)

Works Cited

1.	The Moth Book By W.J. Holland

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 9 March, 2004 - 4:11pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Robin McLeod
Last updated 20 July, 2008 - 10:24am

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