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 409 - 432 of 1978 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 26, 2020
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 26, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Buchs
Region: Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 24, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: AV-Photo1
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 24, 2020
Observation date: Jul 10, 2020
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Roanoke County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2020
Observation date: Jul 16, 2020
Submitted by: Lee Sylvester
Region: Monroe County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: amparrish15
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 21, 2020
Submitted by: Sernalinda
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 21, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: catbird9
Region: St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 18, 2020
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: maarhuis
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 17, 2020
Observation date: Jun 12, 2020
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Butte County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: Barnesem
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 12, 2020
Observation date: May 06, 2020
Submitted by: mapfisher
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 08, 2020
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: mapfisher
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 08, 2020
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Greene County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 06, 2020
Observation date: Jun 26, 2020
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 06, 2020
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 25, 2020
Submitted by: sunnydaisy
Region: Pike County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 27, 2020
Observation date: Jun 06, 2020
Submitted by: bmwhitney
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 26, 2020
Observation date: Jun 21, 2020
Submitted by: Mlcombs
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 22, 2020
Observation date: Jun 18, 2020
Submitted by: getherington
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 19, 2020
Observation date: Jun 17, 2020
Submitted by: Sunrisegardener
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 18, 2020
Observation date: Jun 14, 2020
Submitted by: nancyschmitt
Region: Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 16, 2020
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