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.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 1978 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 07, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 16, 2023
Observation date: Sep 11, 2023
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2013
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2016
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2021
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: nova79
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Sep 05, 2023
Observation date: Apr 24, 2017
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 29, 2023
Observation date: Jun 02, 2017
Submitted by: Andy Young
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 29, 2023
Observation date: May 05, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: melh1998
Region: Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 23, 2023
Submitted by: leslierhill2
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2023
Submitted by: Warbow
Region: Meigs County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: WndrWmn
Region: Cecil County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Underscore1234
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 11, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2023
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Yellowstone County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Sherry in Kansas
Region: Douglas County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Amcenhill
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: Orange County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 05, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: antonio.quezon
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 05, 2023
- ‹ previous
- 3 of 83
- next ›