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 193 - 216 of 1973 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 18, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 18, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: Sebyrd7
Region: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2022
Submitted by: mbroen
Region: St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 09, 2022
Observation date: May 19, 2022
Submitted by: robpendergast
Region: Wood County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: May 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 20, 2022
Observation date: May 01, 2022
Submitted by: seth83
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: Bob Saunders
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 26, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2021
Submitted by: Ilse Gebhard
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Mar 16, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2015
Submitted by: tom nolan
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Mar 01, 2022
Observation date: Sep 05, 2017
Submitted by: Hotdoug89
Region: Kent County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2011
Submitted by: andrew douglas
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 01, 2022
Observation date: Sep 07, 2021
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 30, 2022
Observation date: May 19, 2021
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2020
Submitted by: Jean Persely
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 03, 2021
Submitted by: catbirdcat
Region: Carroll County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2019
Submitted by: sootiju
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Sep 21, 2021
Submitted by: croede
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 23, 2021
Observation date: Sep 16, 2021
Submitted by: Virginiagardengal
Region: Goochland County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 18, 2021
Observation date: Sep 06, 2021
Submitted by: pvasshep
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 23, 2021
Submitted by: Kasiemahan
Region: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 02, 2021
Submitted by: aproa001
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2021
Observation date: Aug 31, 2021
Submitted by: Bonnie Quandt
Region: Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: Spunkybart
Region: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
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