Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Explore Outdoors ~ noisy moth!

 So there I am in my garden on a quiet morning, listening to the birds and the low hum of bees - when a flirrrr of wings goes past. It sounds like a hummingbird with a muffler...
 
but it's not. It's a moth. A hummingbird moth. Sucking all the yummy nectar out of the monarda before the hummingbirds have finished their first cup of coffee.


I know, I know. I post a photo of them every summer. But hey! They are so cool. Look at that looong proboscis. It's like a giant straw that they uncurl to sip sugary stuff. 

Hummingbird moths are hefty and hairy, and even have little fan tails. And their wings beat in a blur. If this one stopped for just a second, you'd notice that the middle part of the wing is clear, giving it the name "clearwing".

Keep your eyes open for hummingbird moths 
hanging out in your neighborhood this week.

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