Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis (Boisduval, 1836)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Macroglossinae
Identification: Adults are quite variable in appearance; Bumblebee mimic. The thorax is golden or olive-golden in color, abdomen is black dorsally with 1-2 segments just prior to terminal end being yellow to various extent, while black ventrally. H. diffinis is the only eastern species to exhibit blue abdominal tufts on the first black segment in some freshly emerged specimens. Wings mostly clear with reddish brown terminal borders and dark scaling along veins. While wing maculation is too variable to be 100% diagnostic, diffinis typically has very thin terminal borders and the discal cell is elongate and without scales. However, diffinis can always be distinguished from gracilis and thysbe by two diagnostic characteristics: 1) the black band that crosses the eye and travels down the lateral side of the thorax; 2) diffinis always has black legs.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 2 inches (3.2 - 5 cm).
Life History: Adults fly swiftly during the day. Caterpillars pupate in cocoons spun in leaf litter on the ground.
Flight: Two broods from March-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), honeysuckle (Lonicera), dogbane (Apocynum), and dwarf bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including lantana, dwarf bush honeysuckle, snowberry, orange hawkweed, thistles, lilac, and Canada violet.
Habitat: A wide variety of open habitats, streamsides, fields, gardens, and suburbs.
Range: East of the Continental Divide, through most of the United States to Maine and Florida. Some overlap with Hemaris thetis just east of the Divide.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: new description from coordinator Jason D. Roberts added 8/2009.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 313 - 336 of 1978 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 26, 2020
Submitted by: DahnGee
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Dec 22, 2020
Observation date: May 14, 2020
Submitted by: Tmartin962
Region: Dakota County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Dec 22, 2020
Observation date: Jun 12, 2020
Submitted by: DKPeterson
Region: Washington County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Dec 22, 2020
Observation date: Aug 15, 2018
Submitted by: CarBag
Region: New London County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 20, 2020
Observation date: Sep 04, 2018
Submitted by: cmcubilla
Region: New London County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 27, 2018
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 19, 2020
Observation date: Sep 02, 2018
Submitted by: Jeanne9953
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 19, 2020
Observation date: Aug 11, 2019
Submitted by: kmkurtz
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Dec 19, 2020
Observation date: Aug 04, 2019
Submitted by: Karen DuMez
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Dec 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2019
Submitted by: gracesheely
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Dec 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2019
Submitted by: slwilber
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Dec 18, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2019
Submitted by: Jeanne9953
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 17, 2020
Observation date: Sep 10, 2019
Submitted by: Suzanne Becker
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2017
Submitted by: Rikki Wells
Region: Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: Alison Stratton
Region: Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 16, 2020
Observation date: Jun 19, 2019
Submitted by: KHMVCS
Region: Norman County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Dec 15, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: SharonEve
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 15, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2020
Submitted by: copasetick
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 15, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2018
Submitted by: DawnMarie
Region: Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 14, 2020
Observation date: Jun 06, 2020
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 14, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Jun 27, 2020
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 04, 2020
Submitted by: linsti
Region: Gibson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 13, 2020
Submitted by: Earth123
Region: McMinn County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
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