Hummingbird Moths. Every summer at the beginning of August we watch the Humming Bird Moths visiting the Phlox in our backyard. |
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Hummingbird Moths |
 We call them the pixies. Their nature
certainly reminds us of a pixie like creature. These
little amusing creatures appear each summer when the
Phlox are in bloom in the garden. At first, from a
distance, they appear to be a humming bird. They
certainly act like humming birds. |
 It hovers with its
wings beating over the flower and sucks the nectar with a
tiny straw like mouth. This is unlike bees and
butterflies who actually land on the flowers.
It has a furry like body that remind you of small feathers. It length is about 1 1/2 inches. The body shape reminds one of a small Cray fish. They have two pixie like antennae. |
 Believe or
not, they are moths. These particular
moths are in the large family of Sphinx Moths (see
example left) which inhabit the United States and
Canada. The larvae rear up their heads in a
sphinx-like posture, thus the name. The ones
pictured above are called Hummingbird Moths
because they are often mistaken for hummingbirds. |
What are these
intriguing backyard creatures?