A hummingbird moth visited the Nursery! Watch the video – believe it or not, it’s in slow motion.
There are four types of hummingbird moths in North America, this is the clearwing moth, which you can tell from its red tail and red and clear wings.
Most hummingbird moths fly at speeds up to 12 mph and move their wings roughly 70 times per second. And instead of a long beak like a hummingbird, since this cutie is an insect, it has a proboscis to suck up nectar. The tubular mouth part is typically twice the length of the body, so upwards of five inches long.
They are seen from spring to summer and are most active at dusk, which is when we saw this little guy.
Overall, they’re magnificent pollinators.