Hummingbird Moths: Clearwing, Sphinx and the Hornworm Link
A hummingbird moth is a day-flying sphinx moth that hovers at flowers and sips nectar through a long tongue, so it looks and moves like a tiny hummingbird. In the US the name covers the Hemaris clearwings, chiefly the hummingbird clearwing and the bumble bee-like snowberry clearwing, plus the larger white-lined sphinx. They are harmless: they cannot bite or sting, and Iowa State extension says no treatment is warranted. Their caterpillars are hornworms, relatives of the tomato hornworm, but most feed on shrubs such as viburnum and honeysuckle rather than vegetables.
Most people meet one at a petunia basket on a summer evening and assume it is a baby hummingbird. It is not: as University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s field station points out, half-grown hummingbirds do not fly, and hummingbirds have no antennae.
What is a hummingbird moth?
Hummingbird moth is a nickname, not a species. Iowa State extension uses it for several sphinx moths, family Sphingidae, also called hawk moths, of which there are about 125 species in the US and Canada. Only a few hover at flowers in daylight often enough to earn the nickname.
| What you saw | Hummingbird clearwing | Snowberry clearwing | White-lined sphinx | Ruby-throated hummingbird |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Hemaris thysbe | Hemaris diffinis | Hyles lineata | Archilochus colubris (a bird) |
| Wingspan | 1½ to 2¼ in (about 38 to 57 mm) | 1¼ to 2 in (about 32 to 51 mm) | 2½ to 3½ in (about 63 to 90 mm) | 3.1 to 4.3 in (8 to 11 cm) |
| Wings | Clear centres, reddish-brown border with a ragged inner edge | Clear centres, narrow black border | Fully scaled, brown with a tan band and white vein lines; pink hindwings | Feathered |
| Body | Olive to golden olive above, dark burgundy band on abdomen | Golden yellow with black and yellow bands, like a bumble bee | Stout and brown, crossed by six white stripes | Metallic green back, white underparts |
| Legs | Whitish | Black | Not a useful field mark | Not a useful field mark |
| Antennae | Yes, with a tiny hook at each tip | Yes, with a tiny hook at each tip | Yes | No; a long bill instead |
| When it flies | Daytime, often noticed at dusk | Daytime, sometimes into the evening | Day, dusk and night; comes to lights | Daytime |
The fastest test is the head: if you can see antennae, it is a moth. The tongue coils away when not in use, which Wisconsin extension compares to a party noisemaker.
The European hummingbird hawk-moth is a different animal
Many photos labelled hummingbird moth show Macroglossum stellatarum, the grey and orange hummingbird hawk-moth. Butterflies and Moths of North America gives its range as Europe, Africa and Asia and calls it a rare vagrant to North America. In the US, your moth is almost certainly one of the species above.
How big are hummingbird moths?
The hummingbird clearwing spans 1½ to 2¼ inches according to Wisconsin extension (Missouri gives 1¾ to 2¼), and the snowberry clearwing 1¼ to 1¾ inches in Missouri’s guide and up to 2 inches in Butterflies and Moths of North America. The white-lined sphinx reaches 2½ to 3½ inches. A ruby-throated hummingbird is 2.8 to 3.5 inches long with a 3.1 to 4.3 inch wingspan, per the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, so a clearwing is roughly half the size of the bird.
Hummingbird clearwing vs snowberry clearwing
These are the true clearwings, genus Hemaris, which UW-Milwaukee notes has only four species in the Americas. Missouri’s Department of Conservation gives three field marks:
- Legs and underside. Hummingbird clearwing: whitish legs and white underneath. Snowberry clearwing: black legs and a mostly black underside.
- Wing border. Hummingbird clearwing: wide reddish-brown border with a ragged edge where it meets the clear patch. Snowberry clearwing: narrower black border with a smoother edge.
- Side of the head. The snowberry clearwing has a black band running through the eye and along the side of the thorax; the hummingbird clearwing does not.
The snowberry clearwing is a convincing bumble bee mimic. Missouri’s guide says the quickest way to tell it from a bee is the flight: clearwings hover and usually do not land and walk on flowers the way bees do. The black and yellow is borrowed protection; the moth has no stinger. For more on telling real bees apart, see our carpenter bee vs bumble bee guide.
The white-lined sphinx: the one most people actually see
Iowa State calls the white-lined sphinx the most commonly observed hummingbird-like moth: large and stout, with a tan stripe to each forewing tip and pink hindwings that flash as it hovers. Missouri notes it flies by day and at night and is often found at lights; Wisconsin adds that it may be seen resting on buildings after being drawn to a bright light, the behaviour we explain in why moths are attracted to light.
Its range runs from Central America to most of the United States and southern Canada, according to Butterflies and Moths of North America, and Wisconsin extension notes it moves up from the south most springs.
Where do hummingbird moths live?
Wisconsin extension calls the hummingbird clearwing fairly common throughout the eastern half of the US and Canada, though Butterflies and Moths of North America extends its range west to Alaska and Oregon. The snowberry clearwing occurs east of the Continental Divide. Missouri places both in open woods, brushy fields, yards and gardens.
Our analysis of iNaturalist research-grade records, measured per 10,000 observations of anything in each state to remove the effect of app use, shows hummingbird clearwing sightings are densest in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, led by Maine, Ohio and New Hampshire.
The white-lined sphinx is a western and Great Plains moth by the same measure. New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada lead, with rates about four to five times the hummingbird clearwing’s best states.
When do hummingbird moths fly?
Missouri’s guide gives adult hummingbird clearwings from early April into September, in two or three broods, and snowberry clearwings from late March into September, usually in two broods. In Wisconsin, adults are usually seen in mid-summer. White-lined sphinx adults fly from early April into November in Missouri.
The iNaturalist records show how sharply the clearwing season peaks. Our index shows each taxon’s share of all research-grade observations that month, with 100 as the yearly average. The hummingbird clearwing hits 515 in July and 419 in August, then drops to 96 in September. The white-lined sphinx has two humps: a spring high of 237 in March and a second plateau of 156 in August and 155 in September. That spring high is consistent with Wisconsin extension’s account of explosive outbreaks in the dry West and moths moving north from the south each spring.
What do hummingbird moths eat?
Adults drink nectar. Iowa State notes that each visit takes only a tiny amount and causes no harm to the flowers, and the University of Nevada, Reno calls adult white-lined sphinx moths important pollinators. Caterpillars eat leaves, and each species has its own host plants.
| Species | Adult nectar flowers named by sources | Caterpillar host plants |
|---|---|---|
| Hummingbird clearwing | Petunia, Verbena bonariensis, butterfly bush, butterfly weed, purple coneflower, bee balm, Joe-pye weed, phlox, clovers, thistles, vetches | Viburnum (black haw, snowball, European cranberry bush), coralberry, snowberry, honeysuckle, hawthorns, cherries, plums |
| Snowberry clearwing | Lantana, dwarf bush honeysuckle, snowberry, orange hawkweed, thistles, lilac, Canada violet | Snowberry, coralberry, honeysuckles, dogbanes, horse gentian, blue star |
| White-lined sphinx | Cardinal flower, columbine, evening primrose, honeysuckle, hosta, jimsonweed, lilac, penstemon, petunia, phlox, moonvine, larkspur | Purslane (probably the favourite in Missouri), evening primrose, four o’clocks, fuchsia, gaura, grape, pentas, apple, elm, tomato, willowherb |
Table compiled by The Pest Control Brief from University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, Missouri Department of Conservation, Iowa State University extension, University of Nevada, Reno Extension and Butterflies and Moths of North America.
Wisconsin extension notes white-lined sphinx moths favour bright flowers by day and pale ones in the evening. To see more of them, plant long-tubed flowers and avoid spraying anything in bloom; our guide to pollinator protection and pesticides explains why label bloom restrictions exist.
Hummingbird moth caterpillars: the hornworm link
All sphinx moth caterpillars carry a pointed tail horn, which is why the family is also called hornworms. The tomato hornworm is the best-known member, and its moth also hovers at flowers, which is why Iowa State photographs a tobacco hornworm moth on a petunia in its hummingbird moth article. Our tomato hornworm guide covers that pest in detail; here is how the hummingbird moth caterpillars differ from it.
| Caterpillar | Size when grown | Look | Horn | Where you find it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hummingbird clearwing | Not stated in our sources | Green and finely granular, a light line down each side of the back; may turn reddish on the back when mature | Reddish or light, depending on stage | Viburnum and related shrubs |
| Snowberry clearwing | Not stated in our sources | Usually green, black spots around the breathing holes, yellow collar behind the head | Black with a yellow base | Snowberry, coralberry, honeysuckle, dogbane |
| White-lined sphinx | Up to 3½ in | Very variable: green with black stripes and yellow and orange dots in the Midwest; yellow, cream, brown or nearly black in the West | Yellow or orange, sometimes black-tipped | Purslane, evening primrose, four o’clocks, many others |
| Tomato hornworm | Up to 4 in | Green with eight V-shaped (chevron) stripes on each side | Large horn at the rear | Tomato and its relatives |
Wisconsin extension is explicit that the horn is not a stinger and the caterpillar is harmless to people. The practical difference for a gardener is the host plant: a hornworm on your tomatoes is a tomato or tobacco hornworm, while a hornworm on a viburnum or honeysuckle is very likely a clearwing, and Iowa State says the hornworm stage of most hummingbird moths is of relatively minor importance.
Life cycle in brief
Wisconsin extension says hummingbird clearwing females lay pale green eggs singly on the undersides of leaves; the caterpillars pupate in thin brown cocoons under leaf litter, and Missouri notes they overwinter in the soil as pupae. White-lined sphinx caterpillars pass through five stages before burrowing 1 to 4 inches into the ground to pupate, where, according to Nevada extension, they stay two to three weeks before emerging as moths. Nevada also says adult white-lined sphinx moths typically live one to two weeks.
Are hummingbird moths rare?
No. Missouri rates the hummingbird clearwing reasonably common and the white-lined sphinx common to abundant. The iNaturalist data agree: there are 22,075 US research-grade records of the hummingbird clearwing and 72,757 of the white-lined sphinx, and the clearwing genus as a whole accounts for 56,721 US research-grade records with a month recorded. They feel rare because the season is short and they pass for bees or birds. The genuinely uncommon one is the graceful clearwing, Hemaris gracilis, found mainly in pine and oak barrens in Wisconsin.
Are hummingbird moths dangerous, and do they bite?
No. Adults have a nectar tongue, no biting jaws and no stinger, and Iowa State calls them completely harmless. If you react to handling any caterpillar, ask a doctor.
Why are hummingbird moths bad? Usually they are not
The adults do no damage. The real complaint is the white-lined sphinx caterpillar in an outbreak year: Wisconsin extension says larvae occasionally move in hordes, consuming entire plants, especially in the dry West. Nevada extension adds that a couple of caterpillars are best left alone.
How to get rid of hummingbird moths, if you must
For adults, do nothing: Iowa State says treatment is not warranted, and a white-lined sphinx resting by the door was usually drawn there by the porch light. For caterpillars, Nevada extension recommends a stepped approach:
- Check the damage first. A few chewed leaves on a shrub rarely justify action.
- Hand-pick. Removing caterpillars dramatically reduces numbers, though it is labour intensive. A UV torch at night makes them glow and easy to find.
- Cover vulnerable plants. Hoops, tunnels and row covers work if they go up before eggs are laid in spring.
- Cultivate in autumn. Tilling soil before winter can cut next year’s white-lined sphinx population by up to 90 per cent by exposing pupae, according to Nevada extension.
- Encourage natural enemies. Birds, bats, parasitoid wasps and flies, spiders and predatory bugs all take caterpillars.
- Treat only as a last resort. Nevada advises insecticides only if infestations are incredibly damaging, because they also kill beneficial insects; read and follow the whole label.
No hummingbird moth problem needs a professional. For the wider approach, see our garden pest control guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hummingbird moth?
It is a nickname for several sphinx moths, family Sphingidae, that hover at flowers in daylight and drink nectar through a long coiled tongue. In the US it usually means the hummingbird clearwing, the snowberry clearwing or the white-lined sphinx. They look like small hummingbirds in flight, but they have antennae, six legs and no bill, and the clearwings have see-through patches on their wings.
Are hummingbird moths rare?
No. Missouri’s conservation department rates the hummingbird clearwing reasonably common and the white-lined sphinx common to abundant, and iNaturalist holds 22,075 US research-grade records of the clearwing and 72,757 of the white-lined sphinx. They seem rare because the clearwing season peaks sharply in July and August and the moths are fast and easily mistaken for bees or birds.
Do hummingbird moths bite?
No. Adult hummingbird moths have a straw-like tongue for nectar, no biting mouthparts and no stinger, and Iowa State extension describes them as completely harmless. The snowberry clearwing’s bumble bee colours are mimicry, not a warning of a real sting. Their caterpillars have a horn at the rear, but Wisconsin extension notes it is not a stinger.
What do hummingbird moths eat?
Adults drink nectar from long-tubed flowers such as bee balm, phlox, honeysuckle, petunia, verbena and butterfly bush. Caterpillars eat leaves: hummingbird clearwings feed on viburnum, honeysuckle, snowberry, hawthorn, cherry and plum; snowberry clearwings on snowberry, coralberry, honeysuckle and dogbane; and white-lined sphinx caterpillars on purslane, evening primrose, four o’clocks, fuchsia, grape and many other plants.
How do you get rid of hummingbird moths?
You usually do not need to: the adults do no harm, and Iowa State says treatment is not warranted. If white-lined sphinx caterpillars are stripping plants, Nevada extension advises hand-picking, a UV torch to find them at night, row covers put up before spring egg laying and autumn tilling to expose pupae. Insecticides are a last resort, used strictly by the label.
Sources
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden: Hummingbird Moths (2016).
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture: Hummingbird Moth, Hemaris thysbe; and White-lined Sphinx Moth, Hyles lineata.
- University of Nevada, Reno Extension, FS-23-21, A Northern Nevada Homeowner’s Guide to Identifying and Managing: White-lined Sphinx Moth (2023).
- Missouri Department of Conservation Field Guide: Hummingbird Clearwing; Snowberry Clearwing; White-lined Sphinx.
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station, Bug of the Week: Clearwing Moth (Family Sphingidae).
- Butterflies and Moths of North America: species accounts for Hemaris thysbe, Hemaris diffinis, Hyles lineata and Macroglossum stellatarum.
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, Hornworms (home and landscape; and tomato pest management guidelines).
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
- The Pest Control Brief analysis of iNaturalist research-grade records, pulled October 2026.
