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 169 - 192 of 1973 verified sightings
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Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: mlanois
Region: Wood County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 23, 2022
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Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 22, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: LadyBug1218
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/snowberry_clearwing_img_8252.jpg?itok=DS1OQa--)
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: HCGregory
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 19, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: bwnanney
Region: Knox County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 18, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: Walking._.with....
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 17, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: Mrs BDG
Region: York County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jul 17, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 13, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/snowberry_clearwing_moth_aka_hemaris_diffinis_july_25_2017.jpg?itok=Kn3_nfBr)
Observation date: Jul 25, 2017
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 13, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: mbroen
Region: St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 13, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 06, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Barry County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2022
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Observation date: Jun 21, 2022
Submitted by: rpanetta
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 10, 2022
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Observation date: Jun 23, 2022
Submitted by: Olive C
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 09, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/snowberryclearing10.jpg?itok=KPxTy_Z-)
Observation date: Jul 02, 2022
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 03, 2022
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Observation date: Jun 30, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
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Observation date: Jun 20, 2022
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/14e36e86-021c-4bf5-9d1d-3c819db6aadb.jpeg?itok=2kedic8_)
Observation date: Jun 30, 2022
Submitted by: melanim71
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
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Observation date: Jun 12, 2022
Submitted by: Susan and Amber
Region: Lee County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 29, 2022
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Observation date: Jun 25, 2022
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 27, 2022
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Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: SDLovell
Region: Delaware County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
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Observation date: May 11, 2022
Submitted by: Smalltowngirl
Region: Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
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Observation date: Jun 20, 2022
Submitted by: Mwest86
Region: Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20220617_100419.jpg?itok=2ckIzV0P)
Observation date: Jun 17, 2022
Submitted by: Scoutmom
Region: Pawnee County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
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