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09-MAY-2003 Ernst Sch

Hummingbird Hawk-Moth

North of Zurich - Switzerland

The Hummingbird Hawk-Moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a moth belonging to
the family of Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae). This family is familiarly known as
the Hummingbird moths. The flight of all Sphinx moths is similar to the
flight of true Hummingbirds. The Hummingbird Hawk-Moths also drinks nectar
in flight like a Hummingbird. It changes position very rapidly
when flying from one flower to an other. 75 to 85 wing beats per second.
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comment
Fabienne16-Aug-2006 21:54
Je suis toujours autant subjugée par cette photo, c'est extraordinaire lui qui est si rapide vous l'avez magnifiquement saisi.
Eddie 20-Jun-2004 16:09
Spotted one of these in Charlotte, NC snacking on a phlox flower. They are neat.
Cyana 11-Jun-2004 09:51
I have seen this in Tennessee too. I was surpised and a little weirded out also, until I saw it again and got used to it.
Yonze, BC Canada 11-Jun-2004 05:00
I saw one of these when visiting the old mining town of Jerome, AZ. in May 2004. I asked people what it was, but no-one had seen one before. I also saw a huge bird gliding down Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona. Much bigger than an Bald Eagle (of which I see many, being from Vancouver Island) and a lighter brown than a Golden Eagle. The locals had never heard of such a thing and insisted Condors had never been sighted in the Red Rock canyon area. Oh no?
Guest 11-Jun-2004 02:45
This website shows one like the "Bumblebee" variety that the caller observed.
http://www.birds-n-garden.com/hummingbird_moths.html
Mike 10-Jun-2004 16:55
I was enjoying a warm evening outside with a friend in Winnipeg when I glanced at a small "moth" hovering within a group of flowers. I was baffled by how it looked like a moth but flapped it's wings like a hummingbird. It truely is a beautiful thing to have surprises like this in an otherwise "know it all" world.
cementhead.com 10-Jun-2004 14:43
I live in upstate NY and belive it or not I've been haveing those bugs in my one garden full of Flox,for the last 15 years.The first time I saw them I had no idea but I got use to seeing them year after year.very cool bug.Thanks for the pic.Steve
Steven Chappuis 10-Jun-2004 12:32
I spotted a similar moth in Monroe County, Illinois in the USA in 2002. It was early morning around 5 AM in the Spring time. I knew it was a moth but I have been baffled by its flight pattern. It was really really big too.
pingupingu19-Sep-2003 19:09
i passed much time to try to have such picture of the same butterfly this summer, without success.
i appreciate your performance.
congratulation