Snowberry clearwing
Despite looking and hovering like a bumble bee, the Snowberry clearwing never lands on the flowers it feeds from, sipping nectar entirely on the wing.
| Where | Fields, gardens and open woodland edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 33 to 51 mm wingspan |
| When | April to September |
The Snowberry clearwing is a day flying sphinx moth with mostly transparent wings bordered in blackish brown and a black band running through the eye and along the side of the thorax, a mark the similar hummingbird clearwing lacks. The body is black and yellow, echoing the pattern of a bumble bee.
Caterpillars feed on snowberry, honeysuckle and dogbane, and two broods of adults fly from spring into late summer across most of North America east of the Rockies. Adults hover in front of flowers such as phlox and bee balm while feeding, without ever settling on the bloom.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Black, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Mimics a bumble bee but cannot sting; harmless to handle.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The hummingbird clearwing has pale legs, while the Snowberry clearwing's legs are black, and only the Snowberry clearwing has a dark bar crossing through the eye and continuing along the thorax.
Questions
Is the Snowberry clearwing dangerous to people?
Mimics a bumble bee but cannot sting; harmless to handle.
When can you see the Snowberry clearwing?
The Snowberry clearwing can be seen from April to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Stephen Nachtsheim, Colorado State University, C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, CC0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Hawk moths›Hemaris
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.