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 49 - 72 of 1950 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: clockenthusiast
Region: Bay County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 02, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: Sherry in Kansas
Region: Douglas County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 30, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Newport News, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 30, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: SNitzsch
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 27, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 28, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: datilson
Region: Clarke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 28, 2023
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: dspring17
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 26, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: Fatcatness
Region: Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2023
Submitted by: Cirente
Region: Madison County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 21, 2023
Submitted by: McFarlandFamily
Region: Licking County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 18, 2023
Submitted by: LlamaJ37
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: Danielhinty
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 19, 2023
Submitted by: SusanPotomac
Region: Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 17, 2023
Submitted by: jmacmetro
Region: Bergen County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 15, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: sklewis
Region: Allen County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2023
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: May 25, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Yellowstone County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 24, 2023
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