That s Really a Moth Planting plenty of nectar-producing flowers can lure hummingbirds into your yard. Like their avian namesakes, hummingbird moths can hover seemingly motionless, while tapping nectar reserves with their long, coiled tongue. Some species even have a green back, further adding to their hummingbird resemblance. But unlike the birds, these moths are late risers. They don t stir into action until the sun warms their wing muscles.
Hummingbird moths are members of the sphinx moth family.
This enormously varied group gets its family name from the way the caterpillars can pull their front ends up into a sphinxlike pose when disturbed. While most sphinx moths visit flowers at night, hummingbird moths also called clearwings because of the transparent patches on their wings frequent gardens in full daylight. Hummingbird moth caterpillars feed mainly on honeysuckle, hawthorn, snowberry and viburnum, but different species have different tastes. The caterpillars transform into pupae, which are enclosed in well-hidden, dense brown cocoons under fallen leaves. Some pupae spend winter there, transforming into flying adults the following spring.