Appearance: The Hummingbird Hawk-Moth resembles a small hummingbird with its hovering flight and rapid wingbeats, but it is actually a moth.
Size: Despite its bird-like appearance, it is relatively small, typically measuring around 2 inches in length.
Coloration: It has a brown or grayish body, often with distinctive bands of orange, white, and black on its abdomen, resembling the plumage of a hummingbird.
Wings: Its wings are clear and transparent, with a wingspan of approximately 2 to 3 inches, allowing it to maneuver with agility and precision.
Flight Behavior: Like hummingbirds, the Hummingbird Hawk-Moth hovers in mid-air while feeding, using its long proboscis to sip nectar from flowers.
Proboscis: Its most distinctive feature is its long, straw-like proboscis, which it uses to probe deep into flowers to reach nectar, resembling a giant sucking mouthpart.
“I found it odd that this hummingbird circled this flower without landing. The praying mantis was lurking under the blossom. To let the hummingbird land on the blossom without worry, Michele Carter of Newport, North Carolina, quickly and carefully moved the mantis.