This week’s blog was written by Quinn, a Bucktails alum. Quinn is really curious about nature and enjoys writing about what he learns. He works with the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful campaign as a Youth Ambassador. When he is not out on the trails near his home, Quinn can be found playing drums, dancing, playing hockey, managing a VR esports team, biking, or hanging out on the couch with his two cats.
“What’s that?!” my friend cried out, pointing toward the butterfly bush on my backyard patio. And then, I saw it. Was it a flying shrimp? A hummingbird? Whatever it was, the little flying helicopter immediately drew our attention. While I’m used to seeing pollinators like blue morphos or yellow swallowtails attracted to the many purple flowers, I had never seen the likes of this peculiar and almost fun-looking being. What could it be?
The flying creature moved like a hummingbird, darting from flower to flower and collecting nectar without even landing, but it was smaller and had large antennae coming from its head. And finally, the strangest part about it was the long tail that made it look exactly like the back half of a shrimp or lobster, even possessing the deep red, muted yellow, and beige colors so often seen on common shrimp. Curious, I got a closer look and decided I would simply search for what I could only describe as: “hummingbird shrimp moth”.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth in flight.
Immediately, images flooded into my browser with photos of exactly what was on the bush in front of me. And its name? The Hummingbird Clearwing. The Hummingbird Clearwing is a species of moth native to North America, with the majority of the population found on the East Coast of the United States. They are identifiable by their reddish-brown plump bodies, tails that open to a fan, and quick-moving wings that allow them to collect nectar without landing, just like a hummingbird.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth collecting nectar from butterfly bush.
The Hummingbird Clearwing is part of a specific genus of moth called Hermaris. Hermaris are classified as having clearwings, big antennae, and a long proboscis for drinking nectar, all of which contribute to a more commonly known collection called “Hummingbird Moths”. Other hermaris consist of the Snowberry Clearwing, the Rocky Mountain Clearwing, the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, and more. The Clearwing moth has some special adaptations.
Unlike most moths, which are typically nocturnal, the Clearwing sips on sweet nectar in broad daylight, which is why I had the opportunity to see it right in my own backyard. Even its genus highlights this special feature since Hemaris is derived from the Greek word hemera, meaning “day”.
Double sets of wings and distinctive reddish brown coloring with plump furry body visible on Hummingbird Clearwing Moth.
Another peculiarity of this moth is obviously its similarity in appearance to a bird. Scientists believe this trait may have developed for two reasons. One, due to evolutionary convergence, which is the tendency for similar traits to develop in separate species due to adaptations needed for thriving in similar environments. The other reason could be due to something called “mimicry”, which is an adaptation that allows one species to camouflage itself from another or be mistaken for another species. In the case of the moth, it could often be a tasty treat for birds. So it would be a helpful costume if a moth could resemble a potential hummingbird predator.
Despite these similar appearances, a clear difference between Hummingbird Clearwing moths and hummingbirds is the wings. Where a hummingbird has only one set, the moth has two sets – one large set in the front and a smaller set behind. This “four-wing” trait is similar to most other moths and butterflies.
The Hummingbird Clearwing female lays a brood of 200 eggs that hatch within a week. The caterpillars are green hornworms, identifiable by their one long spike-like appendage on the back half. The moth stays in this form for about 4 weeks, and reminiscent of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” story, it eats the leaves of honeysuckle vines, cherry and plum trees, or hawthorn red berry bushes until it grows large enough to create a chrysalis. The pupa forms inside the cocoon at the bottom of a plant or in dead leaves on the ground. The pupal stage can last shorter than a month or as long as several months – especially for those that overwinter in their cocoons and emerge in the spring.
Flying shrimp? Small hummingbird? Neither! Mimicry and convergent evolution may be responsible for this daytime moth’s clever camouflage.
I don’t know where my moth came from, but I saw it for several weeks, and I’ll be looking for the caterpillars in the spring. Once the newly formed moth emerges and enters its adult stage of life, some Clearwings only live as little as six weeks, depending on predators or inclement weather conditions. However, others have been reported to live up to seven months. While this life span is much shorter than the 3 – 7 year life of a hummingbird, it is pretty long as far as most moth varieties are concerned, living only an average of 10 – 30 days. Lucky for us, the Hummingbird Clearwing sticks around longer for us to catch a quick glimpse on a sunny day. So the next time you catch sight of a hummingbird, take a second look – you just might be looking at the marvelous Clearwing!
Tasty Seafood? Swift Bird? Neither!
Posted: February 14, 2026 by Katie Mace
This week’s blog was written by Quinn, a Bucktails alum. Quinn is really curious about nature and enjoys writing about what he learns. He works with the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful campaign as a Youth Ambassador. When he is not out on the trails near his home, Quinn can be found playing drums, dancing, playing hockey, managing a VR esports team, biking, or hanging out on the couch with his two cats.
“What’s that?!” my friend cried out, pointing toward the butterfly bush on my backyard patio. And then, I saw it. Was it a flying shrimp? A hummingbird? Whatever it was, the little flying helicopter immediately drew our attention. While I’m used to seeing pollinators like blue morphos or yellow swallowtails attracted to the many purple flowers, I had never seen the likes of this peculiar and almost fun-looking being. What could it be?
The flying creature moved like a hummingbird, darting from flower to flower and collecting nectar without even landing, but it was smaller and had large antennae coming from its head. And finally, the strangest part about it was the long tail that made it look exactly like the back half of a shrimp or lobster, even possessing the deep red, muted yellow, and beige colors so often seen on common shrimp. Curious, I got a closer look and decided I would simply search for what I could only describe as: “hummingbird shrimp moth”.
Immediately, images flooded into my browser with photos of exactly what was on the bush in front of me. And its name? The Hummingbird Clearwing. The Hummingbird Clearwing is a species of moth native to North America, with the majority of the population found on the East Coast of the United States. They are identifiable by their reddish-brown plump bodies, tails that open to a fan, and quick-moving wings that allow them to collect nectar without landing, just like a hummingbird.
The Hummingbird Clearwing is part of a specific genus of moth called Hermaris. Hermaris are classified as having clearwings, big antennae, and a long proboscis for drinking nectar, all of which contribute to a more commonly known collection called “Hummingbird Moths”. Other hermaris consist of the Snowberry Clearwing, the Rocky Mountain Clearwing, the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, and more. The Clearwing moth has some special adaptations.
Unlike most moths, which are typically nocturnal, the Clearwing sips on sweet nectar in broad daylight, which is why I had the opportunity to see it right in my own backyard. Even its genus highlights this special feature since Hemaris is derived from the Greek word hemera, meaning “day”.
Another peculiarity of this moth is obviously its similarity in appearance to a bird. Scientists believe this trait may have developed for two reasons. One, due to evolutionary convergence, which is the tendency for similar traits to develop in separate species due to adaptations needed for thriving in similar environments. The other reason could be due to something called “mimicry”, which is an adaptation that allows one species to camouflage itself from another or be mistaken for another species. In the case of the moth, it could often be a tasty treat for birds. So it would be a helpful costume if a moth could resemble a potential hummingbird predator.
Despite these similar appearances, a clear difference between Hummingbird Clearwing moths and hummingbirds is the wings. Where a hummingbird has only one set, the moth has two sets – one large set in the front and a smaller set behind. This “four-wing” trait is similar to most other moths and butterflies.
The Hummingbird Clearwing female lays a brood of 200 eggs that hatch within a week. The caterpillars are green hornworms, identifiable by their one long spike-like appendage on the back half. The moth stays in this form for about 4 weeks, and reminiscent of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” story, it eats the leaves of honeysuckle vines, cherry and plum trees, or hawthorn red berry bushes until it grows large enough to create a chrysalis. The pupa forms inside the cocoon at the bottom of a plant or in dead leaves on the ground. The pupal stage can last shorter than a month or as long as several months – especially for those that overwinter in their cocoons and emerge in the spring.
I don’t know where my moth came from, but I saw it for several weeks, and I’ll be looking for the caterpillars in the spring. Once the newly formed moth emerges and enters its adult stage of life, some Clearwings only live as little as six weeks, depending on predators or inclement weather conditions. However, others have been reported to live up to seven months. While this life span is much shorter than the 3 – 7 year life of a hummingbird, it is pretty long as far as most moth varieties are concerned, living only an average of 10 – 30 days. Lucky for us, the Hummingbird Clearwing sticks around longer for us to catch a quick glimpse on a sunny day. So the next time you catch sight of a hummingbird, take a second look – you just might be looking at the marvelous Clearwing!
Sources
Halseth, Ashlyn. Hummingbird Moth – The Daytime Moth. Georgia Wildlife Federation. Accessed October 21, 2025.
https://gwf.org/
Moisset, Beatriz. Pollinator of the Month: Hummingbird Moth. U.S. Forest Service. Accessed October 21, 2025.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/hummingbird_moth.shtml
University of Konstanz. Moth Keeps a Firm Eye on the Proboscis. ScienceDaily, January 30, 2024. Accessed October 29, 2025.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240129182401.htm
Category: Youth Blog Tags: featured, Hummingbird Clearwing, moth, nature observation