If you're a birder, you'll know what a life list is. It's basically a list of all the bird species one has observed and positively ID'd in one's lifetime. This blog is a record of my "critter" life list (mostly of birds), including photos I've taken over the years, some of the actual lifer if I was lucky enough to get the shot. Don't expect National Geographic quality stuff here, just the work of an amateur photog who loves to trudge out into nature.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis)

This is one cool moth! First time I saw it hovering around the butterfly bush I did a double take, because it was just so weird, but in a cool & beautiful way. Hawk/Sphinx moth? I didn't think they would be seen out and about at noon on a hot summer day. Besides, this guy had clear wings and looked like a cross between a bumble bee and hummingbird. What's up with that?! Eventually, with the help of a fellow blogger, I narrowed down the ID to a Snowberry Clearwing moth (Hemaris diffinis). Turns out the Clearwing is a day-flying Sphinx moth. The distribution of this species seem to be mostly west of the Continental Divide, but there are populations in California which, I believe have now been separated into their own species Hemaris thetis. I'm no expert, so if someone knows better, please let me know!


 5/22/16 Nectaring on a butterfly bush near our front portico

5/22/16

8/13/10 Butterfly bush near our front portico

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: Snowberry Clearwing

SPECIES: Hemaris diffinis

FAMILY: Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)

LIFE LIST DATE: 8/13/2010

LOCATION: In my garden, La Cresta, Murrieta, SW Riverside County, CA
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