Hummingbird Moth

HUMMINGBIRD MOTH
Hummingbird moths (also called hawk moths, clearwing hummingbird moths, and sphinx moths) look quite similar to hummingbirds. They belong to the lepidopteran family Sphingidae.

The Hummingbird Moth, unlike most moths, is seen on clear, sunny days. Many people do confuse it with hummingbirds because of its coloration and how it moves. Hummingbird Moths grow up to two inches long.

The Sphinx Moth (family Sphingidae) is also called the Hawk Moth and the Hummingbird Moth because of its hovering, swift flight patterns.

It shouldn't be confused with the moths called hummingbird moths in North America, genus Hemaris, members of the same family and with similar appearance and behavior. The resemblance to hummingbirds is an example of convergent evolution.

Security Behavior in Black-Chinned Hummingbird Mothers and Nestlings
Prof. Don Powers has collected references for hummingbird scientific literature. Some papers are readable online in PDF format.
Hummingbird Surveys ...

Many of the wild invertebrates that creep, fly, and crawl around the Zoo have characteristics that are just as interesting as the invertebrates in the Zoo’s collection. One of the moths found on Zoo grounds, the hummingbird moth, ...

flight feather: it is knife-shaped in the ruby-throat but club-shaped in the black-chinned. If you notice feathery antennae jutting forward or if you see the bill rolling in and out, it is not a bird, but rather a bird-like hummingbird moth.

See also: Hummingbird, Moth, Hawk, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird