The moths also have three pairs of legs but the legs are so tiny that it is difficult to spot them with naked eye, especially with all that hovering and flapping going on!Īs insects, these moths have a soft and curled proboscis that comes in and out of their mouth as and when needed. Among other things, it is their larger size that makes it difficult to differentiate them from actual hummingbirds. As for their body components, the moths have large blackish eyes as well as larger abdomens and wings compared to most other moths. The hummer moths are normally 1-2 inches smaller than the hummingbirds. The rapidly flapping wings of these moths mean that they do not only look and act as the hummingbirds, but make the similar humming sound as well! Commonly, the wingspan of a hummingbird moth is around 1.6-1.8 inches, although one of the species, namely the White-lined Sphinx, boasts of a larger wingspan (2-3 inches). The flapping motion of their wings are not as fast as that of the hummingbirds, still it is pretty fast and is enough to make them hold their position while they are hovering over and seeping nectar off the flowers. Now, hummingbird moths have similarly strong wings. So, when they hover over flowers, their wings are flapping so rapidly that it is impossible to have a clear view of the wings with naked eyes. Hummingbirds, as many of you may know, can beat their wings more than 80 times per second. In general, these moths, just like hummingbirds, have extremely strong wings and are able to seep nectar from flowers while hovering over them. However, all these species have many things in common (which is why they are all called hummingbird moths, after all!). Well, as with hummingbirds themselves, there are different species of hummingbird moths as well (more on that later). How close is a hummingbird moth to an actual hummingbird? So, by dint of mimicking a bird, they are able to stay relatively safe from the predators and are able to ensure the survival of the species. On top of that, their colorful appearance, no matter how pleasing to the human eye, is not good at all as camouflage. This makes them more vulnerable to predators. First of all, unlike most species of moths, the hummingbird moths are diurnal rather than nocturnal species. Put more plainly, it is as a survival mechanism that hummingbird moths have evolved as a species so closely mimicking the looks and functions of the hummingbirds. To get somewhat technical, this convergence is the cause of homoplasy whereby two creatures from different families and orders come to develop analogous structures that perform the same functions as well. What caterpillar turns into a hummingbird moth?įacts about the Hummingbird Moth Convergence evolutionįirst of all, this strange resemblance between an insect and a bird has come to take place courtesy an evolutionary phenomenon known as convergent evolution.What is the difference between a hummingbird and a hummingbird moth?.How close is a hummingbird moth to an actual hummingbird?.Indeed, nature works in strange ways and the hummingbird moths are a fascinating example of this! Two creatures from two different species with entirely different lineages and yet they come to resemble each other so much not only in looks, but in behavior, feeding habits and other things as well, and this is simply awesome! So, below are some interesting facts about hummingbird moths that may help you to better understand as also appreciate this strange phenomenon of nature. Quite a few backyard birders are wildly enthusiastic about hummingbirds-the tiniest birds in the world, but what about the hummingbird moths? It will be interesting to hear from the hummingbird lovers if they ever saw a hummingbird moth seeping nectar from the hummingbird feeder hung at their backyard.Īt this point, however, one cannot help but wonder whether too many of us would actually be able to spot a hummingbird moth even if we saw one and not mistake it as an actual hummingbird! Yes, these insects look so much like their avian namesakes that unless you are looking from really close quarters, it is incredibly difficult to differentiate the two. Facts, images, videos & species information is included in this article. Hummingbird Moth Facts – everything you need to know about the hummingbird moth species.
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