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 145 - 168 of 1973 verified sightings
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Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: kbg
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 19, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/hummingbird_clearwing_34.jpg?itok=yfLnhr6S)
Observation date: Aug 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 19, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/7855_-_hemaris_diffinis_-_snowberry_clearwing_big_timber_creek_08_18_2022-7149.jpg?itok=3UelQDvu)
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/snowberry_clearwing_29.jpg?itok=DNIf7PYB)
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/snowberry_clearwing_caterpillar_wl.jpg?itok=Q9SVAG4s)
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: jim8435wisc
Region: Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 17, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/clearwing22_005_1280x1001.jpg?itok=nm08xLbh)
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_0177_7.jpg?itok=GPMpeURX)
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: davidwasser51
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img-0714.jpg?itok=yCHaOjrm)
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_e9991.jpg?itok=U-xaDf5y)
Observation date: Aug 11, 2022
Submitted by: KSkrehot
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 12, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20220809_172025.jpg?itok=NDUrs5Er)
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Muskegon County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 09, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/hummingbird_clearwing_33.jpg?itok=grVVhist)
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2022-08-01_moth_snowberry_clearwing_dsc00915.jpg?itok=7l2uLvwC)
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: Judith Huf
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9410_1_0.jpg?itok=ik0ZEdPY)
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Aug 05, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/snowberry_clearwing_3.jpeg?itok=63DVnTF7)
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 31, 2022
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1047.jpg?itok=vQQYP8sb)
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/ef7d7442-42fc-4a9a-adcb-ef9e033f56e3.jpeg?itok=2QCrTVxd)
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: Flutterbysarefree
Region: Shelby County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/b47ad5a6-fd92-4336-93fe-aa6b47b86f3c.jpeg?itok=PGrJDueK)
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: Heidycoy80
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/clearwing_14.jpg?itok=6AJ4K9hB)
Observation date: Jul 31, 2022
Submitted by: ricmcarthur
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20220730_235133.jpg?itok=g2Gchkez)
Observation date: Jul 30, 2022
Submitted by: Brittanie
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/22-7-30b_14-1.jpg?itok=3Dgp5p2-)
Observation date: Jul 30, 2022
Submitted by: Don Marotte
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8149_2_0.jpg?itok=NTnp593m)
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/snowberry22_003_1280x850.jpg?itok=JVfpf9Az)
Observation date: Jul 26, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 29, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/abd9cb4a-8166-4d3a-a839-3d3429aef285_1_201_a.jpeg?itok=o9oYYdC5)
Observation date: Jul 28, 2022
Submitted by: jhdwelly
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
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