"I thought I saw a hummingbird feeding in the garden last evening, but when I looked closer, it appeared to have antennae and looked more like a moth than a bird. What is it?"
What you have seen is one of a number of moth species commonly called "hummingbird," "sphinx," or "hawk" moths. Look under the Family Sphingidae in Moths of North America on our web site for common examples in your state.
The Sphingidae are strong fliers, with a rapid wingbeat. Most are medium to large moths, with heavy bodies; wingspread reaches 5 inches or more in some species. Although a few are active in the daytime, most species in the group are active at dusk. Most, but not all, sphingids feed much like hummingbirds, hovering in front of a flower and sipping nectar through the extended proboscis. The proboscis rolls up like a party noisemaker when not in use, and may not be readily evident in a resting moth. Some species lack scales on large portions of their wings, and therefore have transparent or clear wings. These are commonly referred to as "clearwing hummingbird moths," (Note however that the scientifically accepted common name of "Hummingbird clearwing" refers specifically to Hemaris thysbe.)
Yet another common name for the group is "hornworms." The name comes from a hook or hornlike appendage protruding upward near the posterior end of the caterpillar (larval stage) of most species. Although the horn looks like it may be dangerous, it is in fact harmless. Unfortunately, the larval stage of some species can be very destructive to agricultural crops and ornamental plantings. The tomato hornworm, for example, feeds on potato, tomato and tobacco plants, and can cause severe economic loss in these crops.
You can help. As you will note in the Introduction, Moths of North America is a work in progress, and the distribution maps it provides show only scientifically verified occurrences of each species. If you identify a species of hummingbird moth in a county where it is not shown on the map, we encourage you to follow the directions given in Submitting New County Records to report your discovery. Because so many of these moths can be easily confused with other sphingid moths, it is absolutely essential to submit a clear photo or a voucher specimen to Dr. Opler. Identification problems are further compounded because, although Moths of North America treats many of the common Sphingidae, it does not yet include all of them.