Hemaris is a genus of
sphinx moths in the subfamily
Macroglossinae, which is native to the
Holarctic.[1] Their main host plants are herbs and shrubs of the
teasel and
honeysuckle families. Moths in genus Hemaris are known collectively as clearwing moths or hummingbird moths in the US and Canada and bee hawk-moths in Britain. The related
Old Worldhummingbird hawk-moths, genus Macroglossum, are similar in appearance and habits. Both genera have tails that are provided with an expansile truncated tuft of hairs,[2] but only Hemaris has the disc of the wings transparent, as these scales are dropped soon after
eclosion.
Description
The eggs are small, spherical, and pale glossy green in color. Host plants include shrub and vining honeysuckles and teasels.
The
larvae are small, cylindrical, and covered in granules that often have small bristles. Most larvae are green, brown, and gray, but there are many color forms. All have a distinctive pale dorsolateral longitudinal stripe from head to horn.
The
pupa is enclosed in a loosely spun cocoon, and is glossy in most species. There is a prominent
tubercle or hook alongside each eye. The cremaster of the
chrysalis is large and flattened.
The
imagoes, or adults, are small,
diurnal moths that resemble
bumblebees in shape. They are often mistaken for
hummingbirds. The forewings are fully scaled, but in some species patches of scales are lost during the first flight, leaving a glassy
hyaline area on each wing. The antennae are strongly clubbed in both sexes and each has a small, recurved hook at the end. The
abdomen ends in a large fan of
setae.
The
genitalia of the male are asymmetrical; the
uncus is divided into two subequal lobes and is
sclerotized. The ostium bursae, or genital opening, of the female is angled to the left.
Species
There are 23 accepted species. Four species are native to North and South America, and three to Europe.[3]
^Kitching, I. J. and J. Cadiou (2000). Hawkmoths of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Revisionary Checklist (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Cornell University Press, New York.
ISBN0-8014-3734-2
^Imms, A. D.; Davies, O. W.; Richards, R. G. (1977). Imms' General Textbook of Entomology Volume 2: Classification and Biology (10th ed.). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. p. 1139.
ISBN9789401165167.