Though not as common as the Clearwings, I have seen these beautiful White-lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moths (Hyles lineata) many times in my yard at dusk or just after dark. This one was out in the middle of the day though, flitting back and forth in the containers on my patio. It’s very hard to take a photo of them since they’re never still. I used a flash to capture these photos, click to enlarge.
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White-lined Sphinx at begonia flowers
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A closer look — check out the eye!
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Tan, white and pink colorations
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[...] to get these. Both photos are clickable for larger versions. Also, see my newest post (Sept. 2010): Striped Hummingbird Moth for much better and closer [...]
Sherry these are really great shots, I love them… I’ve never seen them before, how large are they…??
Hi Spider,
Thanks! These are so neat, I love seeing them in the garden. These white lined sphinx are very large moths, sometimes getting up to 5 inches in wingspan. I’m guessing this one was about 2 and a half.
-Sherry
I just saw a hummingbird moth on my deck. It was close to my chair hovering around my flowers. It stayed a few minutes. I was in awe.
I had never seen one before so I checked the internet and there it was.
I hope to see another one some day.
Hi Sharon,
Glad you got to see one! They are awesome. I even like to hear the whir of their wings. I’m sure you’ll see more around your flowers. They seem to be especially attracted to pink colors.
Thanks for visiting,
Sherry
Fabulous photos! I haven’t ever taken any of them ~ it’s usually too dark when I see them. You did a wonderful job and your garden looks great. That butterfly photo was pretty incredible too.
Thank you, Kathleen. They are so hard to capture, they’re never still! Glad you enjoyed the photos and thank you so much for your nice comments. I enjoy your blog and photos as well. (I share your dislike for those Ambush bugs!)
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I just saw a hummingbird moth on my Hostas today. I’m not sure which kind; it looked like the white lined, esp the abdomen, but I think the wings were darker…I now have a new found respect for plain old Hostas!!!