Hummingbird clearwing
This day-flying moth hovers at flowers on clear wings, and its hovering, humming flight is often mistaken for a tiny hummingbird or a bumblebee.
| Where | Gardens, meadows and woodland edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 38 to 55 mm wingspan |
| When | May to September |
The hummingbird clearwing has an olive green and burgundy back, a paler yellow underside, and wings that are transparent apart from a reddish brown border. Pale, yellowish legs and an unbanded thorax side separate it from its close relatives.
Caterpillars feed on honeysuckle, viburnum, and related plants, and the adult moth hovers at tubular garden flowers by day, unrolling a long tongue to reach the nectar.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Green, Red
Active
Day
To people
Feeds only on nectar and does not sting or bite; safe to watch up close at garden flowers.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has black legs and a black band running along the side of the thorax, both absent in the hummingbird clearwing, which has pale legs and an unmarked thorax side.
Questions
Is the Hummingbird clearwing dangerous to people?
Feeds only on nectar and does not sting or bite; safe to watch up close at garden flowers.
When can you see the Hummingbird clearwing?
The Hummingbird clearwing can be seen from May to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by San Diego Natural History Museum, 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.