Is it a bird or a bug? It buzzes, hovers, and flies like a hummingbird from flower to flower. There’s something about this rapid wing-beating creature that may just cause you to do a double take. It’s one of the most fascinating insects (yes, it’s an insect!) to roam the garden, and we’ve got facts about hummingbird moth that are sure to amaze!

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.