This guy showed up at my hanging baskets the night before last. It was so humid out I couldn't get any shots, as it flew off before my lens cleared from being in the air conditioning. Then last night it visited my flowers again! It was not as humid, so a fogged up lens wasn't as much of an issue. Although it was nearly dark, I followed it all around the house, hoping for a shot of this unusual insect. Come to find out, there are several subspecies of Hummingbird Moth and I believe this is an example of a Sphinx Hummingbird Moth. Here is an interesting website with photos of the different species, in moth, pupa and caterpillar form. This site also tells how to raise and care for the caterpillars. I will be on the lookout for these spellbinding animals in the future.
Here is a shot taken the first night when the lens was fogged up. Looking at the silhouette, one would swear it was a hummingbird! Don't you agree?
It's tongue or beak, or straw (Whatever it is called) is longer than it's body! I have enhanced it here in yellow so you can see it better.
This is definitely not the same critter that landed on my lens the other day. I believe that one was a Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth. Wow, isn't nature just amazingly spectacular sometimes?
