Family Sesiidae - Clearwing Moths

From the type genus Sesia, Greek meaning "moth." (1), (2)

Worldwide there are 160 genera and 1452 recognized species (January 2017) (Sesiidae.net).

Moths often resemble wasps and bees in coloration and marking.

Wings elongate, often transparent owing to the lack of scales.

Most of the larvae are borers in the limbs, trunks, bark, or roots of trees, shrubs, herbs and vines. Some bore in galls on woody or herbaceous plants. Majority of adults take nectar. (3)

Females signal they're ready to mate by emmiting a sex attractant. After mating eggs are deposited singly on the host plant. After hatching the larvae quickly bore into the host. Pupation usally takes place the following season. Before pupating, the larva constructs the exit gallery and exit hole leaving a thin layer of tissue to conceal the opening. Some species pupate underground. Many species have a two year life cycle. (3)

Hemaris

Beutenmüller, W. 1896. Critical review of the Sesiidae found in America, north of Mexico. American Museum of Natural History 8(7): 111-148

Beutenmüller, W. 1901. Monograph of the Sesiidae of America, north of Mexico. Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History 1(6): 218-352, pl.29-36 (4)

Duckworth, W. D. and Eichlin, T. D. 1977. A classification of the Sesiidae of America north of Mexico (Lepidoptera: Sesioidea). California Department Of Food and Agriculture Occasional Papers in Entomology, 26 (5)

Eichlin, T.D & W.D. Duckworth 1988. The Moths of America North of Mexico, Sesioidea, Sesiidae, Fascicle 5.1. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation. (6)

Engelhardt, G.P. 1946. The North American Clear-wing Moths of the family Aegeriidae. United States National Museum Bulletin 190: 1-222, pl.17-32 (7)

Moth Photographers Group

Sesiidae.net - world checklist

U. of FL

U. of FL. The Clearwings Borers of Florida

BAMONA

Classification of Sesiidae of America North of Mexico. 1977. PDF document