Hummingbird moth is the common name used for the numerous types of hummingbird moth species which include: Hummingbird Hawk-Moth, Sphinx moth, Common Clearwing Hummingbird moth, Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird moth, Five-Spotted Hawkmoth, and White-Lined Sphinx.
Just like the hummingbird, the hummingbird moth’s buzzing, humming sound is created by its rapid wing movement.
The next time you spot a tomato hornworm (also known as a tobacco hornworm) caterpillar munching on your tomato plants, you are looking at a future hummingbird moth. This caterpillar is named for its hornlike appendages.
The fast-moving hummingbird moth has a rapid wingbeat up to 70 beats per second (depending on the species), enabling it to fly up to 12 mph. Instead of a beak, this moth has a long tongue-like proboscis that rolls out of its coiled tube to reach the nectar deep inside flowers. Its tongue is about double the length of the moth’s body.
