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 385 - 408 of 1978 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: mmeshaka
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 12, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2020
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 12, 2020
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 11, 2020
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: ReverendSaul
Region: Laurens County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 09, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 08, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 08, 2020
Observation date: Aug 04, 2020
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2020
Observation date: Aug 04, 2020
Submitted by: amparrish15
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: Wanderlost
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 05, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 05, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2020
Submitted by: patek
Region: New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 05, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Mjhamm
Region: Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 01, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2020
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 30, 2020
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: Jess D
Region: Paulding County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 30, 2020
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: barthsm
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 29, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: CrescentWing34
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: neson
Region: Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 28, 2020
Observation date: Jul 27, 2020
Submitted by: Judith Huf
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 27, 2020
Observation date: Jul 25, 2020
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 26, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: RobShootPhotos
Region: Jefferson County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 26, 2020
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