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Species Hemaris gracilis - Slender Clearwing - Hodges#7854
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Bombycoidea (Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths)
Family Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)
Subfamily Macroglossinae
Tribe Dilophonotini
Genus Hemaris
Species gracilis (Slender Clearwing - Hodges#7854)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes First described in 1865 by Augustus Radcliffe Grote and Coleman Townsend Robinson as Haemorrhagia gracilisExplanation of Names gracilis is Latin for "slender, slight" Identification Adults - forewing clear area has partial crossband of dark scales near base, and distal margin of clear area is even or smooth-edged (not ragged-edged); legs reddish (vs. pale/white in thysbe and black in diffinis)
Larvae - mostly green with a short dark horn (1)Range Eastern North America: North Dakota and Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia, south along coast to central Florida. Apparently uncommon and local. Habitat acidic soils, most often pine woodland, including pitch and jack pine barrens, with an ericaceous understory. Also bogs and open heathlands and acidic oak and oak-pine forests in some locals (1)Season Adults fly from May (March in south) to August; likely two broods. Food Larvae feed on heaths, including Blue Ridge Blueberry ( Vaccinium pallidum [=vacillans]), and laurel ( Kalmia).
Adults take nectar, mostly in the afternoon of warm (above 21C) days (1)Life Cycle One or two generations per year. Eggs are laid singly on host plant leaves and hatch in about 6 days. Larva mature in a month and spin a cocoon on the soil surface where they usually reamin dormant until the following spring. Some pupae may diapause over two winters (1)Remarks diurnal, does not come to lights. Only found in small numbers even in the proper habitat (1)See Also Hummingbird Clearwing ( Hemaris thysbe) forewing clear area distal margin is uneven or ragged-edged (not smooth-edged), and legs are pale/whitish
Snowberry Clearwing ( Hemaris diffinis) forewing clear area lacks partial crossband of dark scales near base, and legs are black Print References Covell, p. 40, plate 6 #17 (2)Internet References pinned adult image by Paul Opler, plus US distribution map and species account (butterfliesandmoths.org)
Works Cited | 1. | Rare, Declining, and Poorly Known Butterflies and Moths of Forests and Woodlands in the Eastern United States
Dale F. Schweitzer, Marc C. Minno, David L. Wagner. 2011. U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, FHTET-2011-01. . | |
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