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 433 - 456 of 1978 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: carriecz
Region: Green County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 08, 2020
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: carriecz
Region: Green County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 08, 2020
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: Rhonda_Siminian
Region: Horry County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 07, 2020
Observation date: May 13, 2020
Submitted by: Lisa Horth
Region: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 14, 2020
Observation date: Jul 04, 2019
Submitted by: MRamsdell1967
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 04, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2019
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Accomack County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 09, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: Robert Nelson
Region: Baxter County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 21, 2020
Observation date: Jun 20, 2019
Submitted by: Emergenurse
Region: Warren County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Jan 14, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2013
Submitted by: JMJaskula
Region: Jasper County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 29, 2019
Observation date: Aug 29, 2019
Submitted by: Montpelier Monarchs
Region: Orange County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 10, 2019
Observation date: Jun 25, 2019
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Wilson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Dec 07, 2019
Observation date: Aug 27, 2019
Submitted by: kelseymcchesney
Region: Dakota County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 04, 2019
Observation date: Sep 15, 2019
Submitted by: GeoFrazer
Region: Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 04, 2019
Observation date: Jul 02, 2019
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Nov 26, 2019
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: Lishymt95
Region: Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Nov 26, 2019
Observation date: Aug 05, 2014
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Accomack County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 24, 2019
Observation date: Oct 23, 2019
Submitted by: Bob Crowley
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 16, 2019
Observation date: Sep 02, 2018
Submitted by: Bkripto
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 04, 2019
Observation date: Aug 17, 2019
Submitted by: CTenglish
Region: Elbert County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 08, 2019
Submitted by: Howard Nemerov
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 13, 2019
Observation date: Oct 06, 2019
Submitted by: Colin Gillette
Region: Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 07, 2019
Observation date: Aug 22, 2018
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 07, 2019
Observation date: Sep 05, 2019
Submitted by: Stuart Schwartz
Region: Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Oct 05, 2019
Observation date: Sep 10, 2019
Submitted by: Stuart Schwartz
Region: Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Oct 05, 2019
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