Characteristics and Identification

There are several types of Hummingbird Moths, including the Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth, the Tersa Sphinx Hummingbird Moth, and the White-lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moth, and over 100 more in the United States and Canada.

It feeds through a proboscis, a long, straw-like tube kept curled under the head when not in use. They can be beneficial through pollination of many species of plants. While most moths are active at night, the Hummingbird Moth is also active during the day.

In the caterpillar stage, they are called hornworms. Although they feed on leaves of various plants, most are innocuous, attracting little attention and causing little, if any, injury to garden plants.  Tomato and tobacco hornworms, which feed on tomatoes and a few related plants, are an exception, being true garden pests.