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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
caterpillar - Hemaris diffinis Hornworm larva? - Hemaris diffinis ID me please - Hemaris diffinis 6013077 sphinx caterpillar - Hemaris diffinis Snowberry Clearwing - Hemaris diffinis unknown bee/moth? - Hemaris diffinis Snowberry Clearwing - Hemaris diffinis amazing little creature. Curled tongue which straightens to get necture. Bat-like ears. Northern California - 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
Author of species is Boisduval, 1836 as Macroglossa diffinis. (Jean de Boisduval, French, 1801-1879, see also Wikipedia.)
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. (Based on 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
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).
Adults feed on flower nectar.
Life Cycle
Two generations per year.
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)
Oklahoma Wild Things live adult images (Charles Lewallen, Oklahoma)
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 9 August, 2008 - 10:11am

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