This lovely insect was on a brick wall outside my workplace today. Shots were taken with my old "carry cam", a Minolta Dimage F100, all auto. With such an amazing "bumblebee" sort of disguise, this might be a longer lived critter. To me, it might be a "clear winged Sphinx moth", but I really have no clue, only an insect book to take a peek at. The pretty thing stayed several hours then I went for another look. It quivered its wings, then moved the wings rapidly..like an old prop plane in the chucks before a carrier takeoff! Then it rose on longer legs than expected and flew away..quite stongly. If someone can tell me what this "bee looking", moth faced insect is I will appreciate the info. 3 pics.

image two.

image three.

Attached Link: http://www.birds-n-garden.com/snowberry_clearwing_hummingbird_moths.html

looks like a Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth! Cool captures Tom!

Message edited on: 08/22/2005 20:15

Message edited on: 08/22/2005 20:15

Wow! You got this one on the money. At least I did get the "sphinx" part. This is the one. This was a totally neat insect. And, when in flight it did have a similar look to a humming bird. Thanks so much. So, do you know all this stuff or are attracted to a light at night? LOL. I did not expect such a quick and accurate answer. Tom.

I always wondered what they were as well. Great images by the way now all it need is a smiley face on it :)

Message edited on: 08/22/2005 20:40

Tasquah, feel free to do the simley! If you want to.

No... I'm just a sponge of info sometimes! That and caught some shots of one awhile ago in flight!

Here's another angle...got the "in Flight" meal shot! Check this out! I JUST noticed ...these shots were taken on 8/23/2002... almost 3 years to the day! WHOA...That is too freaky weird!

L8RDAZE thanks for the info , what a great bug this is and the good news is I can stop freaking out when they dive by me. I always thought they had stingers. I should have guessed the hummingbird part , you can hear them coming from pretty far away. I guess thats what i get for wearing loud color shirts with flowers all over them. I must look like a walking Deli to them.

never seen one before that i can remember... looks huge! :]

Unbelieveable ... never in my life have I ever seen anything like this ... and it impresses me to no end that you knew right away what it was l8rdaze!!!! :))))) KEWL BUG !!!! AWESOME SHOTS!! All of you!!

What a beauty!!! I know nothing about insects but this one is really gorgeous!! I think I prefer the red one even! ;) Thx for sharing these guys! :)

As you can see from the pics from L8RDAZE, this is a terriffic bug! The one outside my workplace amazed me...especially when it buzzed the wings, like warming up, then took off..yes, like a hummingbird. I was very fortunate to see this critter. This is the same wall my luna moth pics came from (deep in gallery). The in motion shots are really neat...thanks for posting these. : )

Same date? Hummmm...something at work here maybe.

I actually did want to be an Entomologist when I was a wee lad! Alas my parents said it "bugged" them too much! Too many critter hidin' in my bedroom they said. Then...one day I discoverd that the denizens of my private Insectopia had been RAIDED! My dream snuffed out...in a instance! Woe is me! Nowadays... I just fix the computer type bugs! (LOL) L8r! Joe

They are a pretty decent size! They have to flap those wing VERY fast to get up to speed! When ya see'em flyin' its pretty amazin they can even get off the ground!

LOL @ L8RDAZE ... I love your sense of humour. You and my daughter would get along great..... she knows about every bug and critter thats ever walked the planet... she's only 13. lol

What a cool looking insect this is Tom! I have one here, not sure that anyone here could identify it, I think it is native to the swamps of south Florida, but I haven't ever shown it, as I wasn't happy with the angle I captured it from. It reminds me somewhat of this insect you picture here. Brenda :)

Terrific find and nice quick ID! :) Thanks for sharing these photos.