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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Bombycoidea » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Macroglossinae » Dilophonotini » Hemaris » Snowberry Clearwing - Hodges#7855 (Hemaris diffinis)

Species Hemaris diffinis - Snowberry Clearwing - Hodges#7855

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Snowberry Clearwing Caterpillar - Hemaris diffinis Snowberry Clearwing Moth - Hemaris diffinis Green Caterpillar - Hemaris diffinis Snowberry Clearwing, Egg - Hemaris diffinis Mystery Caterpillar - Hemaris diffinis Snowberry Clearwing - Hemaris diffinis Snowberry Clearwing - Hemaris diffinis Mystery caterpillar - 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
Species diffinis (Snowberry Clearwing - Hodges#7855)
Hodges Number
7855
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Hemaris diffinis (Boisduval, 1836)
Explanation of Names
Species name diffinis may be an eponym, as Diffin is a surname. There is a wasp Mesopolobus diffinis Walker, 1834--perhaps Diffin was an important entomologist or patron of research at that time (Internet searches).
Size
Wingspan 35-50 mm
Larva to 45 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing clear area lacks partial crossband of dark scales near base; legs black; underside mostly black.
   

Larva: body usually green with black spots encircling spiracles, "leading edge of thorax yellow, with prominent granules, extended over back of head. Horn long, yellow at base, black from middle to apex."(1) A brown form also occurs.
   
Range
Much of North America except Alaska, Yukon, Nunavut, and Newfoundland
Habitat
Edges, fields with flowers. Adults feed actively on flower nectar during the day while hovering at blossoms.
Season
Adults fly from March to September (two broods) in the south; shorter season in the north.
Food
Adults feed on flower nectar. See Life Cycle for larval food.
Life Cycle
Two generations per year. Larvae feed on dogbane (Apocynum), honeysuckle (Lonicera), bush honeysuckle (Diervilla), and snowberry (Symphoricarpos). In Piedmont, North Carolina, seem to prefer the native Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens.
See Also
Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) forewing clear area has partial crossband of dark scales near base, and legs are pale/whitish
   
Slender Clearwing (Hemaris gracilis) forewing clear area has partial crossband of dark scales near base, and legs are reddish
   
Print References
Wagner, p. 267 (1)
Covell, p. 40, plate 6 #19 (2)
Himmelman, plate C-4, photo of adult (3)
Salsbury, p. 326--photo of specimen, adult (4)
Internet References
Butterflies and Moths of North America pinned adult image by Paul Opler, plus US distribution map and species account (butterfliesandmoths.org)
Maryland Moths live adult images plus dates and locations (Larry Line, Maryland)
Works Cited
1.Caterpillars of Eastern North America
By David L. Wagner
2.Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths
By Charles V. Covell
3.Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Backyard
By John Himmelman
4.Insects in Kansas
By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White
Contributed by Cotinis on 9 March, 2004 - 4:14pm
Additional contributions by Mike Boone, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Robin McLeod
Last updated 30 July, 2009 - 4:53pm

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