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 97 - 120 of 1950 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Oct 21, 2022
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2022
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Polk County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: owlbyr
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Sep 08, 2022
Submitted by: catchinglight
Region: Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2020
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Aug 09, 2019
Submitted by: butterfly101
Region: Clay County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2018
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2018
Submitted by: sindiehp
Region: Platte County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2017
Submitted by: Allen Gathman
Region: Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Jul 10, 2017
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Barry County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2017
Submitted by: mikeconley
Region: St. Louis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Sep 13, 2022
Submitted by: disteffv
Region: Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2022
Submitted by: disteffv
Region: Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Sep 12, 2022
Submitted by: Ashwnota
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 11, 2020
Submitted by: rickschupp
Region: Platte County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 02, 2020
Submitted by: Sandy Hanauer
Region: Callaway County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 14, 2022
Observation date: Sep 07, 2022
Submitted by: fuzzi
Region: Pitt County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 08, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2022
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: Apr 13, 2021
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Greene County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: May 10, 2022
Submitted by: JKlein
Region: Platte County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: Sep 04, 2021
Submitted by: FarmerJessy
Region: St. Clair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: ellydf1021
Region: Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 26, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2021
Submitted by: Ntimm000
Region: Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: kbg
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
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